1
|
Ruyant Belabbas E, Manceau C, Wawrziczny E. The relationship at the heart of the experience of daughter caregivers of a parent with dementia: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. DEMENTIA 2024; 23:175-190. [PMID: 38078431 DOI: 10.1177/14713012231220223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parents with dementia require emotional, physical, psychological and financial support from their child caregivers to continue living at home. Daughter caregivers have been shown to be more involved in self-care and household tasks and to experience higher levels of distress than son caregivers. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of daughter caregivers who provide informal care for a parent with dementia living in their own home. METHOD Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 daughter caregivers of a parent with Alzheimer's disease. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. RESULTS Three axes emerged from the analyses: [1] the before conditions the after: the quality of the previous relationship with the parent with Alzheimer's disease is a determining factor and allows the identification of three profiles of daughter caregivers: 'the grateful', 'the resentful' and 'the ambivalent', [2] when the relationship protects against the sense of burden: the feeling of being invaded by the caregiving situation is influenced by the quality of the relationship with the parent with Alzheimer's disease, and [3] alone or almost: the support network is desired when it is absent but kept at arm's length when it is present. DISCUSSION The results underline the importance of assessing the quality of attachment and supporting the relationship with the parent (especially when the relationship prior to the disease was difficult). Daughter caregivers should also be encouraged to delegate tasks and refocus their actions related to their values. Family mediation sessions may be planned to improve the organisation of care and set up an efficient collaboration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Charlotte Manceau
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Emilie Wawrziczny
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Manevich A, Rubin SS, Katz M, Ben-Hayun R, Aharon-Peretz J. Risk, Resilience, and the Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief Among Spouses of People Living With Cognitive Decline. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2023; 9:23337214231171264. [PMID: 37342766 PMCID: PMC10278413 DOI: 10.1177/23337214231171264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-death grief in the context of dementia caregiving is a significant risk factor for depression, burden, anxiety, and adjustment difficulties. The Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief (TTM-DG) provides a bifocal perspective addressing the nature of the emotional attachment to a loved one living with cognitive impairment, along with a medico-psychiatric perspective associated with stress, trauma, and change in life. The aims of the present study were to empirically validate the components of the model as to identify salutary and risk factors for maladaptive grief responses. Participants were 62 spouses of people living with cognitive impairment, and a control group of 32 spouses. All completed a battery of self-report questionnaires. Structural Equation Modeling yielded six variables consistent with the TTM-DG: partner's behavioral disorders; caregiver's burden; social support; physical health; attachment anxiety; and dementia grief as an outcome measure. Additional findings addressed participants at risk for grief difficulties. The findings provide empirical support for the utility of the TTM-DG in the identification of risk factors associated with maladaptive responses and pre-death grief following a spousal cognitive decline. The TTM-DG can assist in the formulation of evidence-based evaluations and interventions to assist spouses caring for their loved ones living with dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Manevich
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Kinneret Academic College, Tzemach, Israel
| | - Simon Shimshon Rubin
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel
| | - Michael Katz
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rachel Ben-Hayun
- Cognitive Neurology Institute, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Manevich A, Rubin SS, Katz M, Ben-Hayun R, Aharon-Peretz J. Spousal Mourning for Partners Living with Cognitive Impairment: The Interplay of Attachment and the Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2022:302228221142632. [PMID: 36428253 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221142632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present research was to study the interplay of Attachment Theory and the Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief. To examine the research hypotheses, a cross-sectional study was designed and included 122 participants (Mean age = 72.77) drawn from four groups: spouses of people living with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, spouses of people living with advanced cognitive impairment, widowed spouses of deceased dementia patients, and a control group. Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires. Results showed that secure attachment constitutes a significant protective factor with regard to bio-psycho-social symptomatology (Track I) as well as difficulties in the relational bond with the spouse and grief over their deterioration (Track II). The results of the research support integrating attachment-based insights into clinical work with spouses coping with the losses accompanying cognitive decline and the grief processes that are operant in these losses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Manevich
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Kinneret Academic College, Tzemach, Israel
| | - Simon Shimshon Rubin
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Emek Yezreel, Israel
| | - Michael Katz
- International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rachel Ben-Hayun
- Cognitive Neurology Institute, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rubin SS, Manevich A, Doron II. The Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief (TTM-DG): The theoretical and clinical significance of the continuing bond in sickness and in death. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:755-771. [PMID: 31713463 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1688014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Grief and mourning for family members caring for a dementia patient begin with the initial changes in the person's cognitive abilities, and intensify with the worsening of his or her condition. The aim of this article is to propose a Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief (TTM-DG). This model enlarges the theoretical, research and clinical lenses for dementia, and explores how the illness process as well as the bereavement responses after death stimulate the reworking of grief and mourning over the beloved family member. Based on the insights derived from the Two-Track Model of Loss and Bereavement and the Continuing Bonds paradigm, we propose that the clinical and research examination of dementia grief begin in life and continue after the death. The TTM - DG's Track I focuses on bio-psycho-social functioning and Track II focuses on the internalized psychological representation of the patient, the ongoing relational bond and the illness and death story. A case study illustrates how this combined perspective provides a comprehensive picture of the experience of grief for persons afflicted with dementia over the course of the disease trajectory. Future clinical and empirical research has an important role to play in the further development of this model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Shimshon Rubin
- International Center for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel
| | - Alexander Manevich
- International Center for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience and the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Israel Issi Doron
- Department of Gerontology and the Center for Research and Study of Ageing, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wardrope A, Green B, Norman P, Reuber M. The influence of attachment style and relationship quality on quality of life and psychological distress in carers of people with epileptic and nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 93:16-21. [PMID: 30780076 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seizure disorders affect not only the individual living with seizures, but also those caring for them. Carer-patient relationships may be influenced by, and have an influence on, some aspects of living with seizure disorders - with potentially different interactions seen in epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). OBJECTIVES We studied the influence of patient and carer attachment style and relationship quality on carer wellbeing and psychological distress, and explored whether these associations differ between carers for people with epilepsy and for those with PNES. METHODS Consecutive adult patients with epilepsy (N = 66) and PNES (N = 16) and their primary informal carers completed questionnaires about relationship quality, attachment style, and psychopathological symptom burden. We used correlation analysis to identify associations between relationship quality, attachment style, and carer depression, anxiety, and wellbeing; and to explore differences in these associations between carers for people with epilepsy and for those with PNES. RESULTS Overall, 25.3% of carers for people with epilepsy or PNES had scores above the clinical cutoff for depression and 39.6% for anxiety; significantly more carers for people with PNES reported clinically significant depression (47.1% vs. 20.0%), but there was no difference in anxiety rates likely to be of clinical relevance. Correlations differed significantly between carers for people with epilepsy and for those with PNES in terms of patient quality of life and carer anxiety (rE = -0.577, rPNES = -0.025); seizure severity and carer depression (rE = 0.248, rPNES = -0.333) and mental wellbeing (rE = -0.356, rPNES = 0.264); patient depression and carer anxiety (rE = 0.387, rPNES = -0.266); and patient anxious attachment and carer anxiety (rE = 0.382, rPNES = 0.155). SIGNIFICANCE Clinically evident levels of psychological distress are prevalent among carers for people with epilepsy and PNES. Clinical and relationship variables affect carer quality of life differently depending on whether care is provided for individuals with epilepsy or PNES.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alistair Wardrope
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, United Kingdom.
| | - Becky Green
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Norman
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Cathedral Court, 1 Vicar Lane, Sheffield S1 2LT, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Reuber
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, United Kingdom; Academic Neurology Unit, University of Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gerłowska J, Skrobas U, Grabowska-Aleksandrowicz K, Korchut A, Szklener S, Szczęśniak-Stańczyk D, Tzovaras D, Rejdak K. Assessment of Perceived Attractiveness, Usability, and Societal Impact of a Multimodal Robotic Assistant for Aging Patients With Memory Impairments. Front Neurol 2018; 9:392. [PMID: 29910769 PMCID: PMC5992288 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to present the results of the assessment of clinical application of the robotic assistant for patients suffering from mild cognitive impairments (MCI) and Alzheimer Disease (AD). The human-robot interaction (HRI) evaluation approach taken within the study is a novelty in the field of social robotics. The proposed assessment of the robotic functionalities are based on end-user perception of attractiveness, usability and potential societal impact of the device. The methods of evaluation applied consist of User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), AttrakDiff and the societal impact inventory tailored for the project purposes. The prototype version of the Robotic Assistant for MCI patients at Home (RAMCIP) was tested in a semi-controlled environment at the Department of Neurology (Lublin, Poland). Eighteen elderly participants, 10 healthy and 8 MCI, performed everyday tasks and functions facilitated by RAMCIP. The tasks consisted of semi-structuralized scenarios like: medication intake, hazardous events prevention, and social interaction. No differences between the groups of subjects were observed in terms of perceived attractiveness, usability nor-societal impact of the device. The robotic assistant societal impact and attractiveness were highly assessed. The usability of the device was reported as neutral due to the short time of interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Gerłowska
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Institute of Methodology and Psychological Diagnosis, UMCS, Lublin, Poland.,Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Urszula Skrobas
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Agnieszka Korchut
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | | | | | - Dimitrios Tzovaras
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konrad Rejdak
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.,Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee J, Sohn BK, Lee H, Seong SJ, Park S, Lee JY. Attachment style and filial obligation in the burden of caregivers of dementia patients. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2017; 75:104-111. [PMID: 29241090 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Insecure attachment styles have been known to predict greater burden in caregivers of dementia patients. However, it has not been tested how filial obligation, which refers to one's sense of duty on helping elderly parents and is especially pronounced in Asian cultures, is involved in that relationship. We sought to identify whether the association between attachment style and caregiver burden differs according to the degree of filial obligation in caregivers of dementia patients. To assess filial obligation in Korean participants, a Korean filial obligation measure was developed. Ninety-eight Korean female caregivers of dementia patients reported their attachment style, filial obligation, burden, and patient behavioral symptoms. Patients' cognitive abilities, daily activity levels, and global dementia severities were obtained from hospital records. When adjusting for caregiver and patient characteristics, greater attachment anxiety predicted higher burden, corroborating literature findings. However, the association of attachment avoidance with burden was contingent on filial obligation: When obligation was high, greater avoidance associated with lower burden, which contrasts with previous negative implications of attachment insecurity. This implies a buffering role of attachment avoidance among those highly obligated. In addition, obligation positively predicted burden among those low in avoidance. This study is the first one to investigate and find conditional associations between attachment style, filial obligation, and caregiver burden. Given that filial obligation tends to be higher in caregivers of Eastern countries, this study provides quantitative evidence that the caregiving process may be different for them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juwon Lee
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Bo Kyung Sohn
- Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyunjoo Lee
- Department of Social Welfare, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Jeong Seong
- Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soowon Park
- Department of Education, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Young Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine & SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Touchscreen interventions and the well-being of people with dementia and caregivers: a systematic review. Int Psychogeriatr 2017; 29:1261-1280. [PMID: 28446258 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610217000667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia can have significant detrimental impacts on the well-being of those with the disease and their carers. A range of computer-based interventions, including touchscreen-based interventions have been researched for use with this population in the hope that they might improve psychological well-being. This article reviews touchscreen-based interventions designed to be used by people with dementia (PWD), with a specific focus in assessing their impact on well-being. METHOD The data bases, PsycInfo, ASSIA, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane Reviews were searched for touchscreen-based interventions designed to be used by PWD with reported psychological well-being outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed using Pluye and Hong's (2014) Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) checklist. RESULTS Sixteen papers were eligible. They covered 14 methodologically diverse interventions. Interventions were reported to be beneficial in relation to mental health, social interaction, and sense of mastery. Touchscreen interventions also reportedly benefit informal carers in relation to their perceived burden and the quality of their relationships with the people they care for. Key aspects included the user interface, provision of support, learning style, tailored content, appropriate challenge, ergonomics, and users' dementia progression. CONCLUSIONS Whilst much of the existing research is relatively small-scale, the findings tentatively suggest that touchscreen-based interventions can improve the psychological well-being of PWD, and possibilities for more rigorous future research are suggested.
Collapse
|
9
|
McCormack L, Tillock K, Walmsley BD. Holding on while letting go: trauma and growth on the pathway of dementia care in families. Aging Ment Health 2017; 21:658-667. [PMID: 26881318 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1146872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Limited research explores the medical model of residential care in dementia from the family caregiver's perspectives. METHOD This study sought subjective interpretations of nine family caregivers who experienced relinquishing their status as primary caregiver to a medical model, dementia care residential setting. Following semi-structured interviews and transcription data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS One superordinate theme, navigating 'system' control, overarched three subordinate themes: connecting/disconnecting, windows closing, and capacity for sensation. Navigating system control reflected participants' experience of circumnavigating a medical system fraught with hierarchical challenges inclusive of a complex maze of contradictions that appeared threatening, yet appeared comforting; authoritarian, yet often humane. For them, care of self, while advocating for a family member with dementia, required vigilance to manoeuvre a system of care that imposed its uninvited authority at will. Connection/disconnection highlights the enduring struggle for inclusivity in caregiving despite the omnipresent trauma of windows closing. Psychological growth came to these participants through an unexpected capacity for sensation which offered a unique lens to communication with the family member with dementia primarily through sensory exchange. CONCLUSIONS Models of dementia care and therapeutic interventions could inclusively involve dementia family caregivers who may be experiencing traumatic distress, and associated guilt, stigma, loss, and grief. Co-existing psychological wellbeing, however, is possible when family members are encouraged to transition communication to sensory awareness and exchange as windows close.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynne McCormack
- a School of Psychology, Faculty of Science & IT , University of Newcastle , Newcastle , Australia
| | - Katrina Tillock
- a School of Psychology, Faculty of Science & IT , University of Newcastle , Newcastle , Australia
| | - Bruce D Walmsley
- a School of Psychology, Faculty of Science & IT , University of Newcastle , Newcastle , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pienaar L, Reynolds F. ' A respite thing': A qualitative study of a creative arts leisure programme for family caregivers of people with dementia. Health Psychol Open 2015; 2:2055102915581563. [PMID: 28070356 PMCID: PMC5193266 DOI: 10.1177/2055102915581563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explored the meanings of participating in a 5-week creative arts leisure programme designed for family caregivers of people with dementia, using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Eight carers attended and four who met the eligibility criteria agreed to be interviewed. Participants experienced the arts group as providing a sense of freedom and respite, strengthening identity through promoting achievement, offering social support through a collective focus on art- and craft-making and increasing resilience for coping with caring. Some found the 5-week programme too short. Benefits were linked to the security of knowing that loved ones with dementia were close by, being well cared for. Further research is needed into the long-term benefits of creative arts groups for promoting carer well-being.
Collapse
|