Managing Courtesy Stigma: The Case of Alzheimer’s Disease

The results indicate that both primary caregivers and other family members experience stigma; however, a good number of the family members interviewed claimed not to have experienced stigma and did not appear to be concerned about trying to avoid it.

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study which examines the experience of courtesy stigma among family members of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. The results indicate that both primary caregivers and other family members experience stigma; however, a good number of the family members interviewed claimed not to have experienced stigma and did not appear to be concerned about trying to avoid it. Factors or conditions that influenced experience of stigma are outlined.