Poster Presentations

Session Title: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) including Non-Cognitive Aspects
Presentation Date: Friday, March 14 – Saturday, March 15, 2009

FAMILY IMPACT OF THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, THE EMERGENCE OF A MODEL

T. Darnaud
Hopital, Equipe Mobile de Gériatrie, Alès, France

The family impact of the Alzheimer's disease is classically understood as the designation of a natural care giver. The couple that form care giver and the elder suffering from disease of Alzheimer bas been the subject of many research tasks. However, my work of family therapist in gerontology and my activity of researcher showed me that the family impact of the disease of Alzheimer is not limited to the creation of this couple.
Starting from a representative sample, it was possible, for the first time, to describe the impact of the disease of Alzheimer on the trajectory of the families.
During the evolution of the disease, the families will know three times which articulate themselves around two crises which involve a profound change of the relational patterns within the family. Initially, they are drawn with the variation from their homeostatic balance. In the second time, the families cross a period when all is centred on the action. Lastly, in the third time, the families choose bad good solutions. This model does not propose to understand the impact of the disease of Alzheimer through a standard which would classify the families. It describes a trajectory which makes it possible, for the therapist, to better understand family dynamics when they are confronted at the Alzheimer's disease.