[Dementive patients' caregivers--psychological aspect of their needs].

Patients with dementia, especially with dementia in the course of Alzheimer's disease require long-time care. In Poland, 92% of patients with Alzheimer's disease stay at home--mostly because of lack of qualified, easy-available care centers. An informal care is usually provided by patients' close relatives. The aim of the research was to assess how caregivers deal with everyday care problems, especially the psychical and social ones. The study was conducted in 1999 by the method of anonymous inquiry in the group of 42 caregivers, mostly members of Lublin's Alzheimer Association. The caregivers are children (53.6%) or spouses of patients (39.8%). In 61% of cases patient lives with the carer's family. 72% of our respondents consider their work as very hard. The care takes them seven days a week, 77% of carers have no possibility of rest. Almost half of respondents (47%) constantly feel depressed and tired. 15% claim that they hardly cope with nursing. 39% of caregivers have the feeling of deep, internal exhaustion.