Introduction: Qualitative studies have begun to focus on respite as
an outcome and are contributing to an understanding of caregivers’
experience of rest. However, the means by which caregivers relieve
the burden of care remain incompletely understood. The aim of this
study was to uncover the strategies that women caregivers of relatives
with advanced dementia use to rest from caregiving.
Method: A qualitative approach was used influenced by Charmaz’s
constructivist grounded theory. Twenty-three semi-structured
interviews and one group session to validate findings were conducted
between November 2006 and April 2009 in Alicante (Spain) with 23
female primary caregivers of relatives with advanced dementia.
Results: Taking leave from the life of care-giving is the overall
strategy that caregivers use to relieve the burden of care. It shows
that participants rest by doing, by thinking and by relating to others
in ways different to those linked to caregiving. As one participant
expressed, this feels like being another person. The study found that
caregivers exit their care-giving life by: (1) Connecting with a life of
their own, (2) Building moments of life in common with the sick relative,
and (3) Keeping in touch with caregiving. The key to a genuine
rest is to connect with a different world from that of care giving;however caregivers do not always fully achieve this. These strategies
will be presented at the Conference.
Conclusion: These findings are consistent with previous studies
and provide the concept of taking leave from the life of care-giving
that unifies disperse information relating to caregivers’ activities and
sources of respite. Recognizing caregivers’ strategies for achieving
relief would enable nurses to support such strategies as well as to
discourage those that, disguised as breaks from caring, add stress.
Introduction: Qualitative studies have begun to focus on respite as
an outcome and are contributing to an understanding of caregivers’
experience of rest. However, the means by which caregivers relieve
the burden of care remain incompletely understood. The aim of this
study was to uncover the strategies that women caregivers of relatives
with advanced dementia use to rest from caregiving.
Method: A qualitative approach was used influenced by Charmaz’s
constructivist grounded theory. Twenty-three semi-structured
interviews and one group session to validate findings were conducted
between November 2006 and April 2009 in Alicante (Spain) with 23
female primary caregivers of relatives with advanced dementia.
Results: Taking leave from the life of care-giving is the overall
strategy that caregivers use to relieve the burden of care. It shows
that participants rest by doing, by thinking and by relating to others
in ways different to those linked to caregiving. As one participant
expressed, this feels like being another person. The study found that
caregivers exit their care-giving life by: (1) Connecting with a life of
their own, (2) Building moments of life in common with the sick relative,
and (3) Keeping in touch with caregiving. The key to a genuine
rest is to connect with a different world from that of care giving;however caregivers do not always fully achieve this. These strategies
will be presented at the Conference.
Conclusion: These findings are consistent with previous studies
and provide the concept of taking leave from the life of care-giving
that unifies disperse information relating to caregivers’ activities and
sources of respite. Recognizing caregivers’ strategies for achieving
relief would enable nurses to support such strategies as well as to
discourage those that, disguised as breaks from caring, add stress.
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