COMMUNICATION PATTERNS BETWEEN CAREGIVERS AND THEIR SPOUSES WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - A CASE-STUDY

The purpose of this study was to examine the style of communication th at takes place between couples in their home environment in relationsh ip to the abilities of the spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and th e amount of stress and burden experienced by the caregiver. Three styl es of communication emerged: parallel, questioning, and direct. Caregi vers engaging in parallel communications reported greater stress and t ime burden than any other caregivers. Nurses need to be observant of t he communication patterns that exist between caregivers and their spou ses with AD and help caregivers develop successful communicative strat egies that enhance interactions with their spouses. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.