As populations age, dementia caregiving has become an increasingly significant social priority. While research frequently highlights caregiver burden, emerging evidence indicates that flourishing, defined as meaning, growth, and connectedness, can coexist alongside hardship. Yet, it remains insufficiently examined in Singapore. Understanding how family caregivers experience and pursue flourishing is essential for informing policies and interventions that promote holistic and sustainable support. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 dementia family caregivers in Singapore, guided by domains of flourishing identified in Ryff’s Six-Factor Model of Psychological Well-Being and complemented by culturally embedded questions. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was applied, involving immersion in the data, iterative coding, theme development, reflexive engagement, and member checking. Findings revealed multidimensional expressions of flourishing across the themes of Self-Acceptance, Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Purpose in Life and Personal Growth. Caregivers pursued flourishing through strategies such as Finding Refuge in Faith, Fulfilling Filial Compassion, Reappraising Predicaments, Embodying Knowledge of Dementia, Pursuing Dignifying Care, Approaching Challenges Creatively, Treasuring Poignant Moments, and Cherishing Impermanence. Participants also identified contextual conditions that shaped their capacity for well-being, including Domestic Helper Support, Compassionate Community, and Respite Care. Taken together, results indicate that dementia caregiver interventions in Singapore must move beyond burden alleviation and toward empowering caregivers to flourish. This involves equipping them with practical competencies while nurturing their personal health and emotional resilience. Sustaining caregiver flourishing requires a compassionate societal ecosystem that affirms caregivers as whole persons and strengthens the conditions that enable meaning and growth in their caregiving journey.

Authors:
Geraldine Tan-Ho, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Melanie Chng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Farrah Adystyaning Dewanti, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Andy Hau Yan Ho, Nanyang Techological Unversity, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Farrah Dewanti is a project officer at Nanyang Technological University, School of Social Sciences. She conducts qualitative research with stroke survivors, dementia caregivers, and university students.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrahdewanti

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