Caregiver Spouses And Alzheimer Disease: Perspective On Marital Life

Introduction. This study aims at bringing to light potential factors regarding marital life that could enable practitioners to predict how spouses serving as caregivers are likely to adapt to Alzheimer's disease. (AD).Method. Qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews of 27 caregiver spouses of non-institutionalized persons with AD were conducted and analysed.Results. Couples were based on affection. The conflicts and the hardships of their married life were minimized and put into perspective. The global satisfaction of their marriage was always preserved. Communication and social life were essential for maintaining the balance of the couple. The AD was blended with other diseases. Women were more anxious about the future. Non verbal communication helped to strenghten the relationship between the spouses. Surprisingly, the AD was not the expected upheaval in their common history. The marriage was the ground allowing to go beyond the AD, for the studied generation. As far as married couple were concerned, a feeling of guilt could appear if the caregiver failed to provide the wanted help. The spouses gave a meaning to the AD and adapted it to their system of representations.Conclusion. The practitioner should explore in details the history of the couple, the system of representations of the cearegiver spouse, and assess his/her level of resentment, in order to help him or her adapt to this new role.