[Family as care-givers : problem and impact of this policy in psychogeriatric.]

Home care by the family is considered the principal alternative to institutional placement for patients with dementia. This solution can have large repercussions on the quality of life, the health, and the emotional state of the person who is responsible for the patient.The weight of the burden is not related solely to the seriousness of the patient's symptoms, but also to personality, daily life, and the caregiver's general ability to bear stress. In this context, a clinical intervention centred on the personal needs of the caregiver, and aimed at his or her learning cognitive behavioural skills for better dealing with the stress associated with the caregiving role, can often be seen as an indispensable prerequisite or as a complement to other support services which are more concerned with practical problems.