title: Helping families understand and communicate with family members who suffer from dementia.
abstract: Most clients suffering from dementia are cared for in their homes by family members or significant others. These caregivers anguish about their family members' mental deterioration. As one caregiver said, "How do we keep our hearts open in hell? And why should we try?" Caregiving is as much about the emotional impact on family caregivers as it the physical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA. mtl@axe.humboldt.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thobaben
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans