Caregivers Adjustment Model Essay

First, the five-stage process of caregivers’ adjustment is adapted from the adaptation-coping model applied for patients with dementia of Dröes (1991) and Finnema et al. (2000) (Dröes et al., 2010, p. 144). Although the model of Dröes (1991) and Finnema et al. (2000) focuses on patients with dementia, not their family caregivers, their proposed model depicts a process with specific stages which concern coping with disabilities and an effort to preserve social and emotional balances. Dröes (1991) and Finnema et al. (2000) suggest five stages: (1) cognitive appraisal, (2) adaptive tasks, (3) coping strategies, (4) coping behaviors, and (5) preliminary of the adaptation process. Adapting from this model, I propose a main process with five stages, including: (1) awareness of elderly’s illnesses and losses of functions, (2) appraisal, (3) coping objectives, (4) coping strategies, and (5) coping outcomes of elderly and caregivers. …show more content…
While caregiving is considered a family issue (Schulz, 2000), the coping process should refer to family life cycle (Walsh, 1998, 2012). Elizabeth Kübler-Ross presents a five-stage process that an individual often experiences when coping with their own or their beloved ones suffering from disabilities, chronic illnesses, and closely predicted death. According to Kübler-Ross, post-diagnosis, people tend to go through stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression (and/or anxiety), and gradually acceptance (Kübler-Ross, 2002; Martin, 2013). After that, different coping strategies will be