Gay Men as Caregivers for Spouses with Dementia: Intersections of Gender and Sexual Orientation.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Despite the importance of spousal caregiving, and the increase in same-sex marriages concomitant to its legalization in 2015, few studies have examined the experiences of same-sex spousal caregivers. We use an intersectional approach to explore how gender and sexual orientation shape gay men's particular caregiving approaches for their spouses living with dementia.

Methods

We focused on a subsample of gay (N = 13) contrasted with straight husbands (N = 15) from a national study of spousal dementia caregivers. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically by a team.

Results

We find that sexual minority status and gender interact to shape gay men's caregiving approaches. Gay men's broader division of labor in households combines wit

SUBMITTER: Calasanti T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12067063 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature