ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Providing care for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease or another progressive dementia is associated with many hardships. The course of the illness is largely uncontrollable and unpredictable, and eventual death is the only certainty. Patients may live from a few years to over a decade after the onset of dementia. Caregivers often describe their experience as one of living bereavement, as they watch the personality and intellect of their loved one disintegrate. While grieving their loved ones, caregivers also face great challenges maintaining their own quality of life. Caregiving is encompassing, requiring time, energy, and resources that place tremendous strain on an individual.
