[Group work with relatives of Alzheimer patients--a systemic approach]

Dementia does not only infringe the patient's but also his caregivers' lives. The social system surrounding the patient is facing a heavy burden. The care is negatively affected by two components: lack of support from outside and problems within the relationship of patient and caregiver. In a support group for caregivers of Alzheimer patients we therefore adapted a combined approach of psycho-education and system therapy. We centered on the adverse patterns of behavior between patient and caregiver and the broadening of the support system. Techniques from systemic family therapy were used. Two cases illustrate the possibilities of this new approach to group therapy with caregivers of Alzheimer patients.