TITLE:
Relatives’ experiences of everyday life when receiving day care services for persons with dementia living at home
AUTHORS:
Gunn Eva Solum Myren, Ingela Enmarker, Ellen Saur, Ove Hellzen
KEYWORDS:
Relatives; Caregiver; Dementia; Day Care; Qualitative Content Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.8,
August
6,
2013
ABSTRACT: Relatives often
become involved in the care of people with dementia who are living at home. The
caregivers’ burdens are extensively described in several studies, and one of
the most common, unmet needs of the caregivers is the opportunity for daytime activities. The aim in this qualitative
study is therefore to explore the everyday lives of eight relatives of people
with dementia who are receiving day care services. A content analysis is
used, and three major themes emerge and are discussed: 1) when life becomes chaotic; 2) rebuilding a new, everyday life; and 3) the agonies of choice. The findings indicate that day care
service offers respite care, and, at the
same time, it gives both the relatives and
those with dementia a meaningful day. These findings can also be described as
relatives traveling a route from a situation characterized by chaos
and suffering to a new life situation that has meaning through day care
services. It is important to note that despite this new meaning in the relatives’ lives, the relatives continue to
struggle with decisions about the futures of their loves ones in
regard to the dilemma of placing them in an institution versus aging in place.