[The lived experience of family member caring for a person affected by Alzheimer's disease: preliminary results].

The aim of this article is to report the preliminary results from a phenomenological study on the lived experience of Alzheimer's caregivers. Eight caregivers involved in caring for two years at list were interviewed. The analysis of interviews by Giorgi's method showed a multidimensional reality synthesizable in eight spheres of themes: Illness, Patient, Caring, Caregiver's Life and Health, Coping, Spouse/Family, Others, Feelings. Illness has a great impact on the caregivers' life and causes the loss of the affected person even before his/her death. Caring is very hard and emotionally involving. Caregivers mainly complain the lack of support from the National Health System. The continuous involvement in caring produces also health problems, depression, and negative effects within the family. Others are considered as bad. The most common feelings are fear for possible accidents to the patients and remorses. Some caregivers have good coping style putting their faith in God, valuing the closeness of the family and living daily. The utility of the eight spheres of themes are discussed in order to guide the practice toward the caregivers.