Support network transformations in the first stages of the caregiver's career

The purpose of this article is to propose a method to facilitate analysis of the processes involved in the transformation of support networks for caregivers of persons with dementia. The authors are particularly interested in the preliminary phases of the caregiver's career: the initial period ranging from the first manifestations of dementia to the confirmation of a diagnosis. This method combines the social network approach with narrative analysis. The authors discuss two cases to illustrate the concepts of density and clique to explain the maintenance and dissolution of the caregiver's supportive relationships. This method shows significant potential, in that it will help researchers explore social mechanisms related to the development of supportive relationships.