Voices from Down Home: Family Caregiver Perspectives on Navigating Care Transitions with Individuals with Dementia in Nova Scotia, Canada

摘要: Family members with a relative dementia often experience what has been called the ‘unexpected career of caregiver’, facing multi-faceted, complex, and stressful life situations at home that can have important consequences (Raina et al., BMC Pediatrics 4:1–13, 2004), yet making decision to relinquish care giving role facility also be very difficult event (Caron, Ducharme & Griffith, 2006). When family caregivers do decide permanent move is necessary, their reasons are multifactorial. Within context continuing system in Nova Scotia, Canada, where when place an individual into long term decided through assessments by provincial Department Health Wellness, times leading individuals wait limbo hospital or transitional for opening nursing community. Few studies gathered data on relatives’ experiences these transitions within Scotia system. The objective this qualitative study was examine throughout continuum until time relative’s admission long-term care. Through open-ended interviews, participants described during themes identified include (1) caregiver burden, (2) transitions, (3) anger guilt, (4) letting go.