The Impact of Anticipatory Grief on Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias are known to experience many physical and emotional problems. However, research has consistently shown that the relationship between the demands of caregiving and the effects on the caregiver is not strong. Despite considerable research, a full understanding of how the demands of caregiving uniquely impact the individual has not been established. The present study examines anticipatory grief, an emotion that has not been studied to date for its possible impact on the current functioning of caregivers. Structured interviews, consisting primarily on standardized measures, were conducted with 100 caregivers. Results of the study show that physical and emotional problems and the expectation to place the patient out of the home were more likely to occur among those caregivers who expressed the most intense grief and those feelings of remorse and anger characteristic of the anger and guilt stages of grief.