Caring for a Spouse with Dementia
Exploring the impact of caring for a spouse with dementia on the older adult
Caring for a spouse with dementia poses significant challenges and many studies report considerable impacts on both the physical and mental health of caregivers.
DSM-IV criteria for dementia: “Memory deficit that can be demonstrated objectively on cognitive testing. At least one other cognitive deficit such as aphasia (abnormal speech), executive function impairment (difficulty with planning, judgment, mental flexibility, abstraction, problem-solving, etc), agnosia (impaired recognition of people or objects), or apraxia (impaired performance of learned motor skills). Together, these cognitive deficits must result in impairment in performance of daily activities. The course is characterized by gradual onset and continuing cognitive decline. These deficits must represent a decline from a previous higher level of functioning. There must not be any other neurological disease that accounts for them” (American Psychiatric Association 2000).
There are currently 41,470 people living in Ireland with dementia (Cahill et al 2012). The increase in the size of the older population is resulting in an increase in the number of people with dementia and most of these receive care from their spouse (Schulz et al 2004).
The term caregiver is defined as: “an individual who assists ill person(s), helps with a patient’s physical care, typically lives with the patient and does not receive monetary compensation for the help” (Fitzpatrick J.Joyce cited in “Encylopedia of Nursing Research” p.54). Although this definition might be expanded to include the advocational role played by the caregiver in health care systems and society.
The occupational performance and engagement of spousal caregivers is often affected due to negative factors associated with caregiving, for example spousal caregivers have been found to report higher levels of loneliness and depression than other caregivers (Beeson,
Caring for a spouse with dementia poses significant challenges and many studies report considerable impacts on both the physical and mental health of caregivers.
DSM-IV criteria for dementia: “Memory deficit that can be demonstrated objectively on cognitive testing. At least one other cognitive deficit such as aphasia (abnormal speech), executive function impairment (difficulty with planning, judgment, mental flexibility, abstraction, problem-solving, etc), agnosia (impaired recognition of people or objects), or apraxia (impaired performance of learned motor skills). Together, these cognitive deficits must result in impairment in performance of daily activities. The course is characterized by gradual onset and continuing cognitive decline. These deficits must represent a decline from a previous higher level of functioning. There must not be any other neurological disease that accounts for them” (American Psychiatric Association 2000).
There are currently 41,470 people living in Ireland with dementia (Cahill et al 2012). The increase in the size of the older population is resulting in an increase in the number of people with dementia and most of these receive care from their spouse (Schulz et al 2004).
The term caregiver is defined as: “an individual who assists ill person(s), helps with a patient’s physical care, typically lives with the patient and does not receive monetary compensation for the help” (Fitzpatrick J.Joyce cited in “Encylopedia of Nursing Research” p.54). Although this definition might be expanded to include the advocational role played by the caregiver in health care systems and society.
The occupational performance and engagement of spousal caregivers is often affected due to negative factors associated with caregiving, for example spousal caregivers have been found to report higher levels of loneliness and depression than other caregivers (Beeson,