The caregiver career.

The family caregiver role undertaken by spouses of persons with dementia is described as a fatalistic career process with identifiable stages. In the first or Encounter Stage, the caregivers confront the diagnosis and losses of previous lifestyle patterns and acquire home nursing skills. In the middle, or Enduring Stage, caregivers manage extensive care routines and try to cope with social isolation and their mental pain. In the final, or Exit Stage, the career is relinquished to some degree either from death of the ill spouse or institutionalization. The career perspective of caregiving provides a framework for guiding nursing research and practice.