The Experiences of Son’s caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAmong primary caregivers (individuals who indicate having the most responsibility for helping their relatives) of people with dementia, over half take care of their parents. Most caregivers (66 percent) live with the care recipient in the community (Fisher, et al., 2011). The responsibilities of caring for someone with dementia often fall to women (Kasper et al., 2015). Men are underrepresented in the literature pertaining to family caregiving in dementia. Yet, they play an important role in providing care for cognitively impaired older adults in the community (Houde, 2001). While there is extensive literature on caregiving in dementia, only a few studies have emphasized the caregiving role of men (Coe & Neufeld, 1999; Kramer, 2000; Russell, 2007a, 2007b).MethodWe employed the meta‐ethnography methodology. Five electronic bibliographic databases were used to retrieve studies published from 1997‐2021 that explored son caregivers' experiences of caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s Disease. Five qualitative studies were finally included for the synthesis, based on the eligibility criteria.ResultCommon themes that emerged in the son’s experiences include a sense of loss, stress, and enduring the caregiving journey. Son’s caregiver roles included case manager, disease educator to in home paid help, and coping with sibling conflicts. Two studies showed positive outcomes.ConclusionThis review provides a deeper understanding of son’s caregivers' experiences of caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s Disease. The findings can help healthcare providers in the development and implementation of tailored interventions specific to son’s caregiver needs.