Personhood in a World of Forgetfulness: An Ethnography of the Self-Process Among Alzheimer's Patients

This article assesses the self-construct of Alzheimer's patients residing in a care facility, using qualitative research methods to determine whether a sense of personhood was retained despite the deteriorative consequences of the disease. Through systematic observations of patient actions and interviews with family members and staff, the study assessed the patients' experience of self. The self was conceptualized in social constructionist terms emphasizing how patients configure meaning in seemingly trivial everyday aspects of residential care. The research developed ways of understanding the patients' humanity, confirming that a self-process was sustained despite the effects of the disease. The article explores implications of a contemporary approach to treatment of patients as transformed, yet distinctive, human beings with valid relational and cultural lives.