Cultural and Social Dimensions of Egyptian Daughters as Caregivers for Elderly Mothers with Alzheimer’s: An Anthropological Insight | الابعاد الثقافية والاجتماعية لدى البنات المصريات مقدمات الرعاية للأمهات المسنات مريضة الزهايمر في المنزل – رؤية أنثروبولوجية

Document Type : Original Article

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This study aims to explore the lived experiences of Egyptian daughters who provide home care for their elderly mothers diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, through an anthropological lens. The study focuses on the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of caregiving, particularly within a cultural context that views the care of aging parents as a moral and religious responsibility predominantly placed on women. The research adopts a descriptive approach, combining the worldview perspective and the cognitive approach.
Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions, involving a purposive sample of 30 participants from diverse age and social backgrounds. The findings reveal a range of accumulated psychological and social pressures experienced by the daughters, including exhaustion, isolation, guilt, and the challenge of balancing multiple roles within the family and broader society. The study recommends the development of tailored psychological, social, and cultural support programs for female caregivers, and calls for integrating cultural dimensions into home-based eldercare policies.

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NILES journal for Geriatric and Gerontology
Volume 8, Issue 4
September 2025
Pages 311-382

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