Presents case study which highlights attendant cognitive changes that occur in Alzheimer's patient, presenting caregiver with challenges to couple's sexual functioning. Describes man who reported erectile dysfunction directly stemming from stressful changes that had occurred in his relationship to his wife who had Alzheimer's disease. General…

Contrasted predictors of depression among 101 men and 214 women providing care to spouses suffering from Alzheimer's Disease using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies (CES-D) Depression Index. Results indicated that caregiving wives were more depressed and more burdened than were caregiving husbands. (Author/BHK)

Used daily experience survey to distinguish patterns of stress among 21 elderly individuals providing home care to spouse or parent with Alzheimer's disease and comparison group of 20 elderly noncaregivers. Found that life circumstances influenced stress perception in daily life. Caregivers and noncaregivers differed in types of experiences they…

Randomly assigned spouse-caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients to treatment group (individual and family counseling, support group participation, and ad hoc consultation) or control group (only routine support). Treatment group had less than half as many nursing home placements as control group. Placement also was affected by patient's need…

Examined personality factors and coping strategies among 50 spouse caregivers of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. Results showed that personality traits explained 60% of variance in emotion-focused coping, 30% of variance in problem-focused coping, and 15% of variance associated with social support coping.…

Compared 272 spouse caregivers of dementia sufferers with 30 spouse caregivers of cancer victims on multiple indicators of well-being. Found that dementia caregivers were more adversely affected by their role than cancer caregivers. Illness duration and caregivers' employment status did not help to explain this difference. Younger spouse…

Compared self- and other-rated depression in spousal caregivers for 23 Alzheimer's patients, 23 Parkinsons' Disease patients, and 23 control subjects. Two caregiver groups were similar in length of time they had been giving care and in caregiver distress and both caregiver groups were more depressed than control subjects. (Author/NB)

Describes an intermittent, focused social work intervention to help overcome personal and intrapsychic barriers to using available help for wives of Alzheimer's patients. Discusses therapeutic goals, common themes, and implications for practice with caregiving wives with specific attention to supporting the wife in her wish to "responsibly…

Interviewed 15 male caregivers from diverse backgrounds caring for their wives with Alzheimer's disease. Found following themes: commitment, social isolation, loss of companionship, control, sense of accomplishment, problem-solving approach, burden lessening with years of caregiving, and limited expectations of children. Typology of male…

Examined loss of identity resulting from engulfment in caregiver role among 555 adult children and spouses caring for Alzheimer patient. Loss was more common among spouses, females, and younger caregivers. Limited social contact and lack of social roles were related to greater loss of self. Found loss of self associated with lower…

Interviewed 50 older women who were caring at home for a husband suffering from dementia. Examined patient's illness, marital relationship, cognitive age and a variety of socio-demographic variables. Tested hypothesis that it is important for wives to care for sick husbands to maintain their own sense of well-being. (Author/BHK)

Asked 30 families who cared for family member with Alzheimer's disease to provide narratives of daily care over 18 months. Found that different family members experienced their relationship with Alzheimer's disease patient to be continuous, continuous but transformed, or radically discontinuous with their relationship prior to the disease.…

Interviewed 11 caregivers for early-stage Alzheimer's patients to investigate changes in relationships concurrently with onset and progress of disease. Over 18 months, intimacy declined in both spouse and parent-child relationships. Caregivers were saddened at loss of reciprocal aspects of relationship and had difficulty coping with uncertain…

This study examined the types of questions caregivers use and their outcomes when conversing with their spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Of particular interest was caregivers' use of yes-no and open-ended questions and the demands they make on the memory of the person with AD. It was hypothesized that communication between caregivers and…

Analyzed bereavement adaptation among family caregivers to dementia patients. Bereavement group, as compared with active caregivers, dropped substantially in overload and increased in mastery and guilt. Depression showed curvilinear trend, declining from time of death, rising to preloss levels by end of year. Caregiver stressors, baseline…