Livspartnerns upplevelse av att leva med en partner med demenssjukdom

Background: In Sweden, eight percent of all people by the age of 65 years or older have a dementia disease. The healthy spouse received or unconsciously took the role as caregiver in the home which could cause psychological and physical stress. Therefore it is important that nurses have good understanding of how the healthy spouses experience their life situation. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe spouses´experiences of living with a partner with dementia disease. Methods: This literature study was performed with a qualitative method. Nine scientific articles have been quality checked and analyzed with inspiration from Friberg´s way of thinking. The databases Cinahl and PubMed were used. Results: The literature study resulted in the construction of five categories followed by 13 subcategories. The result of the literature study shows that the healthy spouses are affected physically and mentally by living with a partner with dementia disease. A change in the life situation, which entails that the healthy spouse must adapt and change everyday life for the dementia suffering partner's abilities and skills. Conclusion: Living with a partner with dementia disease means a strain for the healthy spouses. It is important for nurses to pay attention to the healthy spouses´well-being. By this study the nurses hopefully understand that it is important to focus on both partners´ needs