Original scientific paper
Coping strategies of family members suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Silvia Rusac
orcid.org/0000-0002-6953-9624
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Pravni fakultet, Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Maja Laklija
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Pravni fakultet, Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Marina Milić Babić
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Pravni fakultet, Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The need for systematic care of ill person and caregiver in the immediate family is in constant increase. How can caregivers cope with the tasks of nursing roles depends on the type of coping strategies they use in the daily care for the ill person. Therefore, the aim of the research is to determine differences in coping strategies of caregivers due to socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and their families, and to determine differences in coping strategies of caregivers due to characteristics of care for ill person. Results showed that caregivers are most often used to redefine the situation and actively cope and seek for a support, which is followed by a search for spiritual support, and then they use the strategies focused on passive / avoidance assessment of the situation and mobilize the resources of the family. It is interesting that the resources of the family are the least used, i.e. caregivers seek help from other sources more than the immediate family members. Women more often than men use the strategies of active coping and seeking support and seeking spiritual support. Strategy of mobilization of resources is frequently used by households with higher incomes, while those with lower incomes frequently used passive / avoidance assessments. It was found that people who have lower levels of burnout and less burdened by the demands of daily care more frequently used strategy to redefine the situation. This paper makes recommendations for the timely and adequate support for caregivers of family members suffering from Alzheimer's disease in order to ultimately improve the quality of life of ill person, caregiver and the entire family.
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease; caregivers; coping strategies; care
Hrčak ID:
87796
URI
Publication date:
5.11.2012.
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