Caregivers of wives diagnosed with Alzheimer's dosease: Husband's perspectives

Abstract

Recent statistics reveal a growth in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementia amongst the elderly.1 Although women are more likely than men to develop AD,1 there is limited literature available on husbands as caregivers for wives with the disease.2,3 Therefore, the need to conduct research in the area of male caregivers is essential if nurses are to understand and provide appropriate support and care for male caregivers. A qualitative study which focused on the experience of husbands who are home caregivers of wives diagnosed with AD was conducted using phenomenological research methods. The study was based on the experiences of eight husbands, six of whom were caregiving for their wives at home, while two cared for wives in an institutional setting. Data collected during in-depth tape recorded interviews with the participants was analyzed using Giorgi's4 method. Five major themes emerged from the participants' stories: loss, caregiver burden, coping methods, quality of previous relationship, and effects of AD. These themes were inter-related to form a whole that described the experiences of caregiving from the husbands' points of view. A discussion of the benefits of the study to nursing practice and nursing research, as well as the relevance to male caregivers are also provided. © 1999, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.