Becoming strangers: the changing family caregiving relationship in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer-type dementia (AD) is an insidious pervasive debilitating disorder that destroys the affected person's capacity for self-care. In this grounded theory study, we explored the reciprocal process of becoming strangers in which eastern Canadian family caregivers and care recipients with AD interact on a continuum from intimacy to alienation through dimensions of dawning, holding on and letting go. The findings illuminate the experiences of family members who struggle on a daily basis with their commitment to the person they knew and their increasing detachment from the stranger that person has become. With the increasing emphasis on home care, these findings offer insights for individual care and health policy development.