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Grief in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia: a qualitative synthesis

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>03/2015
<mark>Journal</mark>Dementia
Issue number2
Volume14
Number of pages20
Pages (from-to)164-183
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date11/07/13
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This article provides a meta-synthesis of studies focusing on grief in caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Through a systematic search, 11 articles met the inclusion criteria that care receivers had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, caregivers were informal caregivers, and the study focused on caregiver grief. The meta-synthesis followed a meta-ethnography approach based on reciprocal translation. Six themes were identified, namely challenges of caregiving, losses and changes in the relationship, the role of dementia in grief, striving despite dementia, utilising social support and death as a relief from caregiving. Themes are discussed within an integrated framework showing the connected relationships between themes. The devised framework of themes illustrates the general experience of caregiver grief and can be used to devise specific, targeted interventions to help caregivers to identify and work through their grief.