Annual of social work, Vol. 16 No. 1, 2009.
Review article
SOME ASPECTS OF CARE FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Maja Laklija
orcid.org/0000-0002-2580-4983
; Faculty of Law, Universitiy of Zagreb, Department of Social Work, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Milić Babić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2310-641X
; Faculty of Law, Universitiy of Zagreb, Department of Social Work, Zagreb, Croatia
Silvia Rusac
orcid.org/0000-0002-6953-9624
; Faculty of Law, Universitiy of Zagreb, Department of Social Work, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or with some other type of dementia is described as the most demanding form of care and the approach to the care depends on the illness stage. The family presents the largest resource in the care for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease when he is no longer capable of taking care of himself effi ciently. The research up to date suggests that the carers spend three quarters of a day caring for the patient, and this portion increases with the progress of the disease. The care for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease can have a negative eff ect on
the family, i. e. the carers, on psychological, professional and/or fi nancial level (they frequently quit paid jobs or are forced to reduce working hours) and it can disturb relations within the family and with the environment. By assuming a very demanding role of caring for a family member, the carer often becomes »a victim of the disease« who needs to find ways of dealing with the burden of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this article is, on the basis of relevant
literature, to identify certain general problems with which are faced the carers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the article focuses on carers’ experience, understanding the diffi culties with which the carers are faced in caring for a sick family member, including depression and carer stress. The importance of the support in the care for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease is also underlined and suggestions for future actions are proposed.
Keywords
Alzheimer’s disease; care; care relationship; consequences; support
Hrčak ID:
35433
URI
Publication date:
6.4.2009.
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