The role of grief in dementia caregiving.
The literature examining issues of caregiver stress, burden,or depression has focused on the stress-process model of caregiving, which posits that there are characteristics inherent in dementia and in the course of caregiving for a person with dementia that can cause stress in the caregiver's life. A more recent literature has emerged that argues that issues of loss and grief play a significant role ina caregiver's ability to cope with the stressors of caregiving. This article reviews the caregiver stress and grief literatures,and proposes a conceptual model of dementia caregiving that outlines pathways of stress and grief in dementia caregiving. Issues specific to caregiver grief are proposed for future research and intervention design.
Noyes
Brigg B
BB
George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84148, USA.briggb@alum.dartmouth.org
Hill
Robert D
RD
Hicken
Bret L
BL
Luptak
Marilyn
M
Rupper
Randall
R
Dailey
Nancy K
NK
Bair
Byron D
BD
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy*; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology