| Summary: | This study aims at investigating the spousal relationships of persons who have been diagnosed with dementia and are living in a nursing home. Eight spouses’ descriptions of their relationship, spousal interaction and the relationship´s impact on the spouse´s life were captured through qualitative interviews. The results show three main types of interaction patterns: one of spousal joy and happiness; a combination of both happiness and sadness; and a pattern of no positive reactions. The strength of the relationship was based on the analysis of trust, intimacy and commitment to the relationship. The spouses who described their relationships as most meaningful were strongly committed and expressed trust. Intimacy was generally low. When asked about plans for the future the results showed that some spouses included the person with dementia, while others excluded. This combined with the view of how the dementia disease affects the person, shows that in meaningful interactions the spouse separated the disease from the person. The relationships where interactions were more problematic showed that this separation did not occur in the same way.
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