MacLeod, Suzanne2014-03-262014-03-2620142014-03-26http://hdl.handle.net/1828/5213As a social worker practising in long-term residential care for people living with dementia, I am alarmed by discourses in the media and health policy that construct persons living with dementia and their health care needs as a threatening “rising tide” or crisis. I am particularly concerned about the material effects such dominant discourses, and the values they uphold, might have on the collective provision of care and support for our elderly citizens in the present neoliberal economic and political context of health care. To better understand how dominant discourses about dementia work at this time when Canada’s population is aging and the number of persons living with dementia is anticipated to increase, I have rooted my thesis in poststructural methodology. My research method is a discourse analysis, which draws on Foucault’s archaeological and genealogical concepts, to examine two contemporary health policy documents related to dementia care – one national and one provincial. I also incorporate some poetic representation – or found poetry – to write up my findings. While deconstructing and disrupting taken for granted dominant crisis discourses on dementia in health policy, my research also makes space for alternative constructions to support discursive and health policy possibilities in solidarity with persons living with dementia so that they may thrive.ensocial determinants of healthsocial exclusioncrisis discourseAlzheimer'sAlzheimer Society of CanadaSuzanne MacLeodSusan StregaDonna Jefferypoststructuralpoststructuralismadmission to long-term carefunding for long-term careImproving BC's care for persons with dementia in emergency departments and acute care hospitals Findings and Recommendationsacute careaging demographicBC Psychogeriatric AssociationbiomedicalBritish ColumbiaCanada Health Actcollective social responsibilitycompetitioncorporate profitcorporatizationderesponsibilizationelder friendlyelderly citizensfamily caregiversFoucaultfound poetrygenealogy of power knowledgeincompetentMinistry of Healthmoral economicspharmaceuticalbed blockerstigmatizedtsunamiabsent-personaction planaging populationalternative discourseapocalyptic demographyappropriatearchaeologyarchaeology of knowledgearchaeologicalBritish ColumbiaburdenCanadacaregivercharitycharitablecollectivecollective carcommunitycommunity carecondition of possibilityconditions of possibilitycorporatecounter-discoursedementiadementia caredementia policydementia social policydependentdepoliticizediscoursediscourse analysisdisruptive discourseeconomic burdeneconomicseconomyelderemergencyepidemicexclusionfear-mongerFoucauldianfound poemgenealogygenealogicalhealth authorityhealth carehealth care staffhealth care systemhealth policy documenthealthy lifestylehome and community carehomogenizationhomogenizehospitalimaginariesimaginaryincapableindividual responsibilityindividualismknowledgelong-term carematerial effectmateriality of discoursemediamoral panicnational strategyneoliberalneoliberalismneoliberal rationalitynot preparedobjectobjectificationotherperson-centeredpeople living with dementiaperson living with dementiapersons living with dementiaperson with dementiapoempoetic representationpoetrypolicypoliciespoliticalpoliticspowerpower knowledgepower relationsprivateprivatizeprivatizationproductivity of dominant discoursepublic health careresidential careresistanceresponsibilityresponsibilizationrising tideRising Tide The impact of Dementia on Canadian Societysafety netshift costs to caregiversresponsibilitysocial policysocial policy imaginarysocial well-beingsocial worksocial workersolidarityspecializedstakeholderstatestigmasubject matter experttaxpayerthreatunpreparedunproductivevoluntaryvolunteerwait timewaveThesisAvailable to the World Wide Web