Assisted eating in late-stage dementia: Intercorporeal interaction

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Sciences
• Linguistics

Background:

• Investigating agentive abilities in late-stage dementia often overlooks non-verbal communication.
• A theoretical framework emphasizing intercorporeality is needed to understand embodied agency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore agentive abilities in people with late-stage dementia through the lens of intercorporeality.
• To analyze assisted eating as a joint intercorporeal activity.

Main Methods:

• Observational study using video recordings of assisted eating in a residential elder care home.
• Analysis of intercorporeal interactions between people with late-stage dementia and professional carers.

Main Results:

• Assisted eating is a joint intercorporeal activity involving coordinated bodily movements.
• Collaboration between individuals with dementia and nurses relies on interdependent bodily actions.
• Agency in late-stage dementia is demonstrated through shared, distributed intercorporeal interaction.

Conclusions:

• Understanding agency in late-stage dementia requires recognizing embodied, intercorporeal interaction.
• Intercorporeal interaction highlights the shared and distributed nature of agency.
• Support is crucial for individuals with dementia to express their agency in social interactions.