Protective Factors for the Well-Being in Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer’s: The Role of Relational Quality

Caterina Gozzoli, Antonino Giorgi, Chiara D’Angelo

Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy.
Faculty of Education, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2013.46A1009                

Abstract

The work highlights one of the direct stakeholders of RSA organization, the caregivers of patients with Alzheimer. It studies if and in which measure the caregivers’ level of health are strongly influenced by their perceived Relational Quality of the retirement homes in which their loved ones are hospitalized. Participants were 111 caregivers of patients with a diagnosis of dementia and recovered in RSA since at least 6 months. The study measures if the relational quality perceived by caregivers has a positive and direct influence on two mood states of caregivers: depression-dejection, anger-hostility. It also investigates if the protective function of relational quality remains significant also in presence of moderator variable such as social support and burden. The analysis confirms that increasing perceived relational quality corresponds to a decreased perception of caregivers’ discomfort humoral. The social support factor does not act as moderator, but it is confirmed the moderator role of burden. The research work provided some important empirical about the important role of caregivers retirement homes. They represent an emotional and relational link that connects the guest on one hand with the familiar net and on the other hand with the service operators. Therefore caregiver is a central resource, who needs protection and valorisation.

Keywords

Caregivers Well-Being; Alzeimer’s Disease; Relational Quality

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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