Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger is 74 years old at the time of the interview; his wife is 81. The couple lives in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Mrs. Wolfensberger was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia 11 years ago. Seven years ago, she suffered a stroke. Although she partially recovered, her vision, motor skills, and spatial orientation have been severely limited ever since. Mrs. Wolfensberger requires 24-hour nursing care, which places a heavy burden on Mr. Wolfensberger. For the past four years, his wife has been cared for in the mornings by Spitex. The respite service comes three times a week, and she attends a day structure once a week. This care arrangement allows Mr. Wolfensberger to pursue his work. The couple were employed in academia. Mr. Wolfensberger has dementia-specific expertise.
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Mr. Wolfensberger brings his wife to the day program once a week. Taking her there and picking her up is time-consuming, and the transition period in the morning is difficult.
Mr. Wolfensberger brings his wife to the day program once a week. Taking her there and picking her up is time-consuming. In addition, the transition period in the morning is difficult because his wife often reacts irritably.
TRANSCRIPT
Related experiences
Frau Zeller
In order to roughly assess the quality of care, Mrs. Zeller put nursing and hotel costs of the homes in perspective.
When transferring her mother to a dementia-friendly nursing home, Mrs. Zeller searched and waited for a long time. In order to be able to roughly estimate the quality of care, she put the nursing and hotel costs of the homes into a ratio.
At home or in a nursing home?
Frau Engel
Mrs. Engel plans to care for her husband, who has dementia, at home for as long as possible, which is why she will move into an accessible apartment with her husband.
Mrs. Engel plans to care for her husband, who has dementia, at home for as long as possible. For this reason, she has adapted her home so that it is suited for the care that he needs. She plans to move with her husband to an accessible apartment imminently. Based on her experience with her mother, who also suffered from dementia, she will only consider institutional care if her husband becomes aggressive.
At home or in a nursing home?
Other experiences by Herr Wolfensberger
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger is 74 years old at the time of the interview; his wife is 81. The couple lives in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Mrs. Wolfensberger was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia 11 years ago. Seven years ago, she suffered a stroke. Although she partially recovered, her vision, motor skills, and spatial orientation have been severely limited ever since. Mrs. Wolfensberger requires 24-hour nursing care, which places a heavy burden on Mr. Wolfensberger. For the past four years, his wife has been cared for in the mornings by Spitex. The respite service comes three times a week, and she attends a day structure once a week. This care arrangement allows Mr. Wolfensberger to pursue his work. The couple were employed in academia. Mr. Wolfensberger has dementia-specific expertise.
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger relates that the development of the disease in his wife was significantly slower than predicted by the doctor, which he attributes to the effect of the medicinal plants blueberry and turmeric.
Mr. Wolfensberger relates that the development of the disease in his wife was significantly slower than predicted by the doctor. He attributes this to the effect of her regularly consuming the medicinal plants blueberry and turmeric.
Therapeutic approaches
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger noticed spatial and visual perception disorders in his wife. She perceives obstacles on the path where there are none.
Mr. Wolfensberger noticed spatial and visual perception disorders in his wife. She perceives obstacles on the path where there are none.
Impairments, restrictions and impacts
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
The long period of care gnaws at him, Mr. Wolfensberger says. He feels exhaustion due to a lack of free time and frustration because his life is severely restricted.
Mr. Wolfensberger mentions that he did not follow the neurologist's recommendation to move his wife into a nursing home. He feels a mutual obligation to his wife, as he states at another point in the interview. However, the long care period gnaws at him; he feels exhaustion due to lack of free time and frustration since his life is severely restricted.
Processes of adaptation
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
He would have done writing exercises with his wife, Mr. Wolfensberger says. Writing is an optimal strategy for training the brain.
He would have done writing exercises with his wife, says Mr. Wolfensberger. Writing is an optimal strategy for training the brain.
Therapeutic approaches
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger considers music therapy to be something extraordinary. Music, he says, is an expression of life energy. He mentions in the conversation that his wife grew up in a musical family.
Mr. Wolfensberger considers music therapy to be something extraordinary. Music, he says, is an expression of life energy. He mentions in the conversation that his wife grew up in a musical family.
Therapeutic approaches
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Every professional engagement that Mr. Wolfensberger accepts means for him a trade-off between care-free time and invested effort.
For the time he is away on business, Mr. Wolfensberger engages the nursing service 3 times a week for eight hours at CHF 25 per day. Every engagement he accepts means a trade-off between getting care-free time and making this financial or organizational effort.
Costs of care
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger brings his wife to the day program once a week. Taking her there and picking her up is time-consuming, and the transition period in the morning is difficult.
Mr. Wolfensberger brings his wife to the day program once a week. Taking her there and picking her up is time-consuming. In addition, the transition period in the morning is difficult because his wife often reacts irritably.
At home or in a nursing home?
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger does not agree with the doctor's assessment that his wife’s leg paralysis is associated with her Alzheimer's dementia. He is advocating for further examination by a neurologist.
Mr. Wolfensberger does not agree with the doctor's assessment that his wife’s leg paralysis is associated with her Alzheimer's dementia. He is advocating for further examination by a neurologist. Mr. Wolfensberger recommends that others think for themselves, interpreting the symptoms that occur and relaying their own assessments as a relative to doctors and nursing professionals. Mr. Wolfensberger makes this belief clear at other points in the interview as well.
Four levels of communication of the caregivers
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Enabling dementia patients to lead an active social life is central, says Mr. Wolfensberger. Nursing professionals should increasingly orient their actions towards supporting this, as should the patients and their relatives.
Enabling dementia patients to have an active social life is central, says Mr. Wolfensberger. Care professionals should focus their efforts on supporting this, as should the patients and their relatives. It is worth resisting the impulse to hide or withdraw.
What helps? - Caregivers' perspective
Dementia
Herr Wolfensberger
Mr. Wolfensberger mentioned that his wife was receiving a combination of an anxiolytic and antidepressant at very low doses for the night. Previously, she had experienced hallucinations in the middle of the night due to medication.
Mr. Wolfensberger mentioned that his wife receives a combination of an anxiolytic and antidepressant at very low doses for the night. This solution, which a geriatrician recommended to him two years ago, enables him to have quiet nights. Previously, his wife had experienced hallucinations in the middle of the night due to medication.
Therapeutic approaches
Dementia
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