Dementia carer perspectives: the construction of explanations and the conditional/consequential matrix

Abstract

This article focuses upon the consideration and utilization of the Conditional/Consequential Matrix (CCM) within a critical realist and grounded theory approach in order to make sense of the experiences of Asian carers experiences of caring for a family member with dementia. It is based on two research projects undertaken by the authors: a doctoral study with Sikh carers of a family member living with dementia, and research into the lives and educational needs of rural young adults. Use of the CCM revealed that becoming and being a carer involves lived experiences and the establishment of an identity as a carer that is continually reaffirmed, refurbished or altered as the circumstances of the lives of individuals alter and evolve. Such heuristic schema and diagrams can make a real contribution to the thinking and presentation of a great deal of research.