Sons and Daughters

Adult daughters face distinct challenges caring for parents with dementia and may experience compassion fatigue: the combination of helplessness, hopelessness, an inability to be empathic, and a sense of isolation resulting from prolonged exposure to perceived suffering.
Prior research on compassion fatigue has focused on professional healthcare providers and has overlooked filial caregivers. This study attempts to identify and explore risk factors for compassion fatigue in adult daughter caregivers and to substantiate further study of compassion fatigue in family caregivers.
Day JR, Anderson RA, Davis LL. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2014 Oct;35(10):796-804

Although behavioral symptoms predicted depression in both caregiver groups, the association was much stronger for daughters. This suggests that the emotional relationship between the daughter and patient exacerbates the negative effect of behavioral symptoms on caregiver depression. The familial relationship between the caregiver and dementia patient should be considered in managing caregiver stress.
Lee, J., Sohn, B. K., Lee, H., Seong, S., Park, S., & Lee, J. Y. (2017). Impact of Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia Patients on Depression in Daughter and Daughter-in-Law Caregivers. Journal of women's health (2002), 26(1), 36–43

Driving is a symbol of autonomy and independence. It is nevertheless an individual’s privilege, not right, especially as driving may affect other drivers and pedestrians on the road. In this case scenario, we describe the situation that arose when a patient with multi-infarct dementia wanted to go for a drive and his son and grandson tried to convince him that he could no longer drive. What went wrong in the caregivers/patient interaction is presented. The futility of arguing with patients who have dementia is highlighted as well as the suspiciousness it may generate. Alternate actions that can be useful to avoid/avert the situation from escalating and having a catastrophic ending are discussed. Testing/evaluating patients with dementia for fitness to drive is also reviewed and a list of select resources is included.
Hamdy RC, Kinser A, Kendall-Wilson T, Depelteau A, Whalen K, Culp J. Driving and Patients With Dementia. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2018 May 31;4:2333721418777085

Repetitive questioning is a major problem for caregivers, particularly taxing if they are unable to recognize and understand the reasons why their loved one keeps asking the same question over and over again. Caregivers may be tempted to believe that the patient does not even try to remember the answer given or is just getting obnoxious. This is incorrect. Repetitive questioning is due to the underlying disease: The patient’s short term memory is impaired and he is unable to register, encode, retain and retrieve the answer.
Hamdy, R. C., Kinser, A., Depelteau, A., Lewis, J. V., Copeland, R., Kendall-Wilson, T., & Whalen, K. (2018). Repetitive Questioning II. Gerontology & geriatric medicine, 4, 2333721417740190.