This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lindgren, C. L. Articles by Gaspar, H. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lindgren, C. L. Articles by Gaspar, H. L. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Grief in Spouse and Children Caregivers of Dementia Patients

Wayne State University

Carolyn T. Connelly

State of Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services: Special Services Unit

Heidi L. Gaspar

Mount Clemens General Hospital, Senior Health Services

Caring for a family member with dementia involves loss and inevitable grief during the illness duration. The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of grief of caregivers of family members with dementia and the relationship of those patterns to the losses and experiences of the caregivers. Participants were 22 spouse caregivers and 11 adult children caregivers of family members with dementia. Caregivers’experiences were measured using visual analog scales and grief using The Grief Experience Inventory. Caregivers’ perceptions of the level of affection before the illness and the satisfaction of the marriage before the illness were inversely related to grief symptoms. Grief symptoms were also related to participants’ perceptions of loss of the future. Caregivers’emotional distress includes reaction to the losses they are encountering long before their care recipients die.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. K. Butcher, P. A. Holkup, and K. C. Buckwalter The Experience of Caring for a Family Member with Alzheimer's Disease West J Nurs Res, February 1, 2001; 23(1): 33 - 55. [Abstract] [PDF]