Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

This thesis deals with the caregiver’s management of a patient suffering from dementia. In fact, it’s evident that in taking care of this kind of patient, it is necessary to include in the treatment process also the person who looks after him. The burden is a syndrome that is spreading more and more among caregivers because the number of the elderly population affected by chronic diseases, such as dementia, is increasing, this is a topic that certainly needs to be better examined. Caregivers are faced with the complex and particular patient’s care needs without support, which leads to an important psychophysical imbalance. Another reason that influenced the choice to deal with this issue comes from a personal interest that arose during the experience of internship in Erasmus in Barcelona and in the hospital environment of Modena. The nurse plays an important role in psychiatry because he is a reference point for the patient, but also a referent for the caregiver in the daily management of the patient. The support given should be both theoretical, explaining the disease, and also concrete, allowing the family member to come up with the most appropriate solutions to ensure the well-being of both. The last part describes how the interaction between the figure of the Occupational Therapist and the Nurse allows the caregiver to reach a higher level of competence and satisfaction in fulfilling this role. A literature review was carried out through books on nursing and medicine, articles and international guidelines, Cinahl Database, the Google Scholar search engine and the Bibliomo catalog using the following keywords: "management"; "Caregiver"; "Family members"; "Informal caregivers"; "Burden"; "Dementia"; "Nursing”.