Feelings of anger among caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

The purpose of this article is to examine the caregiver's feelings of anger, the causes of these feelings as described by the caregivers and their reactions. Twenty female caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients participated in a support group at a psychogeriatric centre for 3 years. The group was directed by a registered nurse and a social worker. Frequently, anger was raised as a major issue in the caregiving. The group directors constructed two models that emerged from the support group's meetings. The first model showed the sources of the anger felt by the caregivers and the second model showed coping strategies. The caregivers said that the most infuriating behaviours of patients Alzheimer's disease were: aggressive behaviour, sleeplessness and verbal or behavioural repetition. The caregiver's reactions to the two models are discussed in this paper together with their feelings, which expressed by the women in their own words.