The Forgotten Generation

Abstract

When a parent assumes the caregiving responsibilities of someone with Alzheimer's disease, the relationships between family members, as well as the family roles, may be altered. The caregiving role is generally assumed by the female within the home; a daughter or daughter in-law. The children of the caregivers are affected as their mother becomes involved with the caregiving responsibility of their grandparents with Alzheimer's. The leisure patterns of the family are affected as the grandparent's behavior and daily care affect the everyday routines of the family. The focus of this research was to gather information to generate new insights about how granddaughters were affected when their grandmothers had Alzheimer's disease. Information was collected by interviewing six granddaughters. The themes that emerged from the granddaughters' stories included problems with social interaction and feelings of embarrassment due to the grandmothers' behavior. Stress and tension, feelings of guilt, feelings of sadness, feelings of frustration and anger also emerged. Avoiding the caregiving situation, participating in activities, the need for possessing information about Alzheimer's disease and the importance of support were other themes that emerged. These themes formed the foundation for a model that illustrates the interaction of the themes on the granddaughters in this Study.