Die leefwêreld van die adolessent met 'n grootmoeder wat Alzheimer-siekte het

M.Ed.The goal of this research was to explore and describe the life-world of the adolescent grandchild of a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It appears that adolescents with a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease are experiencing emotions of inter alia loss, frustration, heart-sore, irritation, helplessness, guilt, unease and love. The tendency by parents, caregivers and support organisations is so focused on the caregiving of the Alzheimer's patient that the needs of the adolescent in the family are often neglected. This led me to ask the following questions: What does the life-world of the adolescent with a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease comprise of? Which guidelines can be described to adolescents and their parents in order to cope with a grandparent suffering from Alzheimer's disease? A qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was followed. The research was conducted in the following two phases: The life-worlds of eight respondents, representing six families with a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease were explored and described in phase 1. This was done using phenomenological, unstructured, in-depth interviews. In phase 2 a description for adolescents and their parents regarding coping with a grandparent suffering from Alzheimer's disease was done, which is based on the results from phase 1. After data was gathered in phase 1, I came to the conclusion that the adolescent with a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease experiences a vast array of emotions, loss, dramatic relationship changes in the family and that they apply a number of coping mechanisms in order to handle their circumstances. It is hoped that the findings from this study can be used to assist adolescents and their families in the enormous task of taking care of a grandparent suffering from Alzheimer's disease