Living in uncertainty while a spouse is undergoing a cognitive assessment: Voices of women care partners

Abstract

Introduction Women often support partners with cognitive symptoms during the assessment process and when they are receiving a cognitive diagnosis. Living with a partner with cognitive symptoms can be stressful; however, there is limited insights into the specific experiences of older women during the assessment process. Previous research indicates that there are gender differences in the experiences of spousal caregiving; however, further research is needed in regard to the experiences of men and women as care partners. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe women’s experiences of living with a partner undergoing a cognitive assessment. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven women when their male partners commenced a cognitive assessment and after the assessment had been completed. The interviews were analysed with abductive content analysis. Findings Uncertainty permeated the women’s experiences. Antecedents, attributes and strategies to manage the uncertainty were described. Conclusion The participants expressed informational and existential uncertainty when their partner underwent a cognitive assessment. A lack of knowledge regarding the assessment process and cognitive diagnoses, especially mild cognitive impairment, was identified. Further, there was a need to process existential uncertainty evoked by the situation.