ABSTRACT

The field of dementia studies has grown over recent years and, as a consequence, several new methods have both started to be used and been developed for exploring, describing, explaining and reporting the lived experience as well as the everyday lives of people living with dementia and their significant others. One central problem in research involving people living with dementia is for that voice to be expressed. For a number of reasons, their voice is often not requested, or wanted, or it is not even noticed. This may be because people living with dementia often express their voices and experiences in ways that is not in accordance with given social expectations and communicative and narrative norms. Most people living with dementia are severely challenged in living up to some verbal and textual norms and expectations. People living with dementia can contribute their specific experiences and perspectives on their lives and their worlds.