Males with Alzheimer’s disease in their wives’ narratives about home-based care. Case studies report

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the results of qualitative research, 5 case studies of husbands with Alzheimer’s disease, and the image of daily home-based care for them, provided in family homes by wives. The research question posed in this report was: what is home-based care for a husband with Alzheimer’s disease from the wive’s perspective? Te research results revealed the main category: home-based care characteristics, along with 8 codes, such as (a) husband’s condition, (b) wife’s day, (c) husband’s day, (d) care, (e) barriers/ difficulties of the wive, (f) functioning of the husband, (g) barriers/difficulties of the husband, (h) overcoming problems. The results of the research revealed that husbands with Alzheimer’s disease are the most important point of reference and the focus of attention for 24 hours a day in the everyday lives of 5 case studies informants. Husbands, their character, current skills, difficulties, and requirements are constantly present, although their masculine presence is changed by the disease process. The results of the research showed the nature and image of the progressive process of falling ill, the loss of various functions in husbands in the narrative of wives, and illustrated the functioning of males, the involvement in the care of members of the immediate family, and in some cases incoming caregivers and nurses. Additionally, research has shown a picture of home-based care saturated with routines, barriers and hardships, and the burdens o wives assuming more life roles than just taking care of their husbands. Moreover, the results of the research also showed a lot of understanding from the wives’ perspective, loyalty, and warm feelings towards seriously ill husbands manifested in the dedication in the constant care, reformulation of one’s own life in accordance with the needs of husbands.