The parent they knew and the "new" parent: daughters' perceptions of dementia of the Alzheimer's Type.

Psychosocial death is a significant dimension of the Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type disease process but poorly studied. This article explores three phases of psychosocial death that emerged from in-depth interviews with three daughters caring for a parent with this chronic illness. The phases discussed include: (1) daughters creating a new relationship with their parent; (2) daughters grieving chronically throughout the illness; (3) daughters negotiating coherence between the parent that once was and the parent that exists now. Daughters' narratives reveal that witnessing the deterioration of a mind was a burdensome grave learning process that encompassed many losses. These daughters lacked appropriate education and support. Future research in this area is required to develop strategies for informal caregivers that respond to this disease process.