Die psigofortologiese belewenis van die eggenoot van 'n pasiënt met Alzheimer se siekte

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Date
2008-09-25
Authors
Pretorius, Chrisma
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Alzheimer’s disease has a great impact on both the caregiver and his or her patient. This study describes Alzheimer’s disease and the impact thereof on the caregiver of a person with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. The purpose of this study is, firstly, to investigate the experience of a husband of a person with Alzheimer’s disease from a psychofortological perspective. This experience is investigated through focusing on the exceptional challenges that caregiving faces and highlights the strengths that are needed to cope with these challenges. Men that act as caregivers for spouses with Alzheimer’s disease are included in this study. A further goal is to formulate guidelines from the findings from the field of psychofortology for the use of male caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. A final goal is to compare the results of this study with the results of Potgieter (2000), whose focus was on the needs of female caregivers. This survey is of a binary nature, as both quantitative and qualitative means of data analysis are employed. Ten male caregivers were included in this project. For the quantitative part of this study, five questionnaires were used, namely, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmonds, Larsen & Griffin, 1985), the Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987), the Fortitude Questionnaire (Pretorius, 1998), the General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979) and the Burden Interview (Zarit, Reever & Bach-Peterson, 1980). The psychometric tests were conducted only to verify the qualitative findings and were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. For the qualitative part of the study (which represents the major part), semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with husbands caring for spouses with Alzheimer’s disease. An orientational qualitative method of analysis (Patton, 2002) was utilised to analyse and code the latter information. This approach aims to investigate the configuration of existing theoretical models in a new domain. The psychofortological aspect of incidence and more specifically, the Sense of Coherence of Antonovsky, were utilised as theoretical bases, following the work of Potgieter (2000). In this study, confirmation was found for the experiences of male caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer’s disease, already identified in earlier research. The comparison between male caregivers of this study and female caregivers from the study conducted by Potgieter (2000), revealed various similarities, but also interesting differences. It is clear from the results that male caregivers make a unique and valuable contribution to caregiving. A number of factors that play an important role in the experiences of the male caregiver were identified. Included, was the need of time for himself; thus, people from the community may be trained to provide a degree of escape for the caregiver. The establishment of support groups for male caregivers has great potential, but the format thereof should be adapted to the needs of male caregivers. The biggest strength of male caregivers that was evident, was the problem-focused coping mechanisms they possess. Male caregivers are inclined to underreport caregiver-burden. Religion, as well as support from their children, especially from their daughters, played a major role in the comprehensibility, controllability and meaning that male caregivers find in the caregiving situation. These factors may make a positive contribution to the advancement of the way caregivers handle the challenges of the caregiving situation and should be employed in the development of any support programmes for male caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer’s disease.
Afrikaans: Alzheimer se siekte het verreikende gevolge vir beide die versorger en die persoon met hierdie siekte. Hierdie studie beskryf Alzheimer se siekte en die impak daarvan op die versorger van die persoon wat ly aan Demensie van die Alzheimer-tipe. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was in die eerste plek om die belewenis van die eggenoot van ‘n persoon met Alzheimer se siekte vanuit ‘n psigofortologiese hoek te ondersoek. Hierdie belewenis is ondersoek deur te let op die besondere uitdagings wat die versorgingstaak inhou, sowel as om te fokus op die sterktes wat benodig word om hierdie uitdagings die hoof te bied. Mans wat as versorgers van huweliksmaats met Alzheimer se siekte optree, is by hierdie studie betrek. ‘n Verdere doel van die studie was om op grond van die bevindinge riglyne vanuit die veld van psigofortologie te formuleer vir die benutting deur manlike versorgers van persone wat gediagnoseer is met Alzheimer se siekte. ‘n Laaste doelwit was om die resultate van die studie te vergelyk met die resultate van Potgieter (2000) wat gefokus het op die behoeftes van vroulike versorgers. Die ondersoek was van ‘n tweeledige aard, aangesien daar gebruik gemaak is van beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data-ontledingsmetodes. Tien manlike versorgers is by die studie betrek. Vir die kwantitatiewe ondersoek is vyf vraelyste benut, waaronder die Lewenstevredenheidskaal (Diener, Emmonds, Larsen & Griffin,1985), die Koherensiesin-vraelys (Antonovsky, 1987), die Fortaliteitsvraelys (Pretorius, 1998), die Algemene Gesondheidstoestand-vraelys (Goldberg & Hillier 1979) en die Lasdra-onderhoud (Zarit, Reever & Bach-Peterson, 1980). Die psigometriese toetse is afgeneem bloot ter toeligting van die kwalitatiewe resultate en die resultate is met beskrywende statistiese tegnieke ontleed. Die kwalitatiewe gedeelte van die ondersoek (wat die meeste gewig dra) was die ontleding van semi- gestruktureerde indiepte-onderhoude wat met die versorgers gevoer is. ‘n Oriënterende kwalitatiewe ontledingsbenadering (Patton, 2002) is gevolg. Hierdie benadering is daarop afgestem om die vergestalting van reeds bestaande teoretiese modelle in ‘n nuwe domein te ondersoek. Die psigofortologiese invalshoek en meer spesifiek Antonovsky se Koherensiesin is as teoretiese basis gebruik, in navolging van die werk van Potgieter (2000). Die belewenis van manlike versorgers van huweliksmaats met Alzheimer se siekte, soos in die literatuur opgeteken, is tot ‘n groot mate bevestig. Die vergelyking tussen die manlike versorgers van hierdie studie en vroulike versorgers van Potgieter (2000) se studie het verskeie ooreenkomste, maar ook interessante verskille opgelewer. Dit het duidelik uit die resultate na vore gekom dat manlike versorgers ‘n unieke en waardevolle bydrae tot die versorgingsrol lewer. ‘n Aantal faktore is geïdentifiseer wat ‘n belangrike rol speel in die belewenis van die manlike versorger. Hieronder is die behoefte aan tyd vir hulleself. Mense uit die gemeenskap kan opgelei word om ‘n mate van ontvlugting vir hierdie versorgers te bied. Die stigting van ondersteuningsgroepe vir manlike versorgers het groot potensiaal, maar die formaat daarvan moet aangepas word by die behoeftes van manlike versorgers. Die grootste sterkte van manlike versorgers wat na vore gekom het, is die probleem-georiënteerde copingmeganisme wat hulle openbaar. Manlike versorgers is geneig om versorgerlas te onderraporteer. Die versorgers se geloofsoortuiginge en ondersteuning wat hulle van hulle kinders, veral hulle dogters ontvang, speel ‘n groot rol in die verstaanbaarheid, beheerbaarheid en betekenis wat die versorger in die situasie vind. Hierdie faktore kan dus met vrug aangewend word in die bevordering van die versorger se hantering van uitdagings wat die versorgingsituasie stel en behoort in enige ondersteuningsprogram vir manlike versorgers van huweliksmaats met Alzheimer se siekte in ag geneem te word.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Sc. (Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2006, Alzheimer's disease -- Families, Caregivers -- Families, Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Care -- Psychological aspects, Salutogenesis, Caregiver, Stress, Coping, Psychological well-being, Sense of coherence, General resistance resources, Fortology, Fortitude
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