[Interpersonal interactions between demented elderly and family caregivers in their home]

The objective of this study was to clarify the actual status of interactions performed at home between demented elders and their family caregivers. An inductive qualitative study was conducted by using a grounded theory approach. Subjects were 25 elderly individuals with dementia of Alzheimer type, and 28 caregivers in their family. The study was performed using the participant observation and interviews in their homes. Based on a constant comparative analysis, results revealed the levels of "certainty" and "maintenance of self" of the elders as core variables in interactions between the elders and the caregivers. Characteristic interactions were found to fall into three categories. The interactions in Category 1 showed caregiver's persistence in potential "certainty" of the demented elders. Category 2 was the interactions when the uncertainty of demented elders was unquestionable, and category 3 was interactions when certainty of demented elders was clear: In the category 1, subcategories named "looking for the holes", "digging the holes" and "filling in the holes" were found. In the category 2, phenomena named "protection", "friction", "harmony" and "resistance" were observed. And the category 3 contained "equality." The researcher examined and clarified behavioral characteristics, the backgrounds, topics and the results of the interactions as components of each subcategory. The triggers the transition of categories of the interactions were examined. This study also treated the differences produced according the levels of dementia and role relations of the caregivers for each category. This study revealed a part of actual interactions between the demented elders and their caregivers, and a part of the world which demented elders may experience in interaction with their caregivers.