Caregivers' Experience of Caring for a Family Member with Alzheimer's Disease: A Content Analysis of Longitudinal Social Media Communication
Language English Country Switzerland Media electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
32575455
PubMed Central
PMC7345212
DOI
10.3390/ijerph17124412
PII: ijerph17124412
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- Alzheimer’s disease, Facebook, caregiver, online support group, social media,
- MeSH
- Adaptation, Psychological MeSH
- Alzheimer Disease * nursing MeSH
- Diterpenes MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Caregivers * MeSH
- Family MeSH
- Social Media * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- communic acid MeSH Browser
- Diterpenes MeSH
Background: The population aging together with an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) should also be accompanied by a growing interest in healthcare research. Therefore, this study examines the nature of the caregiver's work, its mental and physical demands, experience and questions, and the relationship between the person with AD, the caregiver, and family members. Methods: As social media has become the place where people share family situations, a Facebook private discussion group of caregivers was chosen as the analytical data source. The study documented the daily-life situations of one-hundred dyads based on 2110 posts published during a six-month or longer period. A content analysis classified communication into 35 categories of basic, instrumental, and extended activities of daily livings (ADLs) and newly designed caregiver's daily issues (CDIs). Results: The frequently discussed topics were related to exhaustion and feelings of "giving up" by caregivers and interpersonal communication and help from family members. The highest support was found for the topics of aging and dying and family events. Conclusion: The communications of caregivers were diverse and rather associated with co-occupational ADLs and CDIs than basic or instrumental ADLs. The support of the group was mainly provided in coping with fundamental life changes.
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