People living in the community with dementia are frequently supported by informal caregivers that are made up variously of spouses, other family members, friends or neighbours. Caregivers can experience negative mental and physical consequences as a results of the pressures of care giving. Resulting outcomes can include depression, strain, social isolation, financial burden and disruptions to sleep for the carer. Coping strategies play a fundamental role in modulating the psychological impact of the disease. The objective of this study was to identify coping skills among caregivers of patients with dementia. The sample comprised of 50 Caregivers of persons with dementia. The data collected from NIMHANS Geriatric Clinic. The patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified based on information from the patient undergoing treatment at geriatric clinic in NIMHANS were selected using simple random sampling. The following tools were used for the current study: Socio-demographic data sheet was used to study the socio demographic details of the caregivers of persons with dementia and the Brief COPE developed by Carver, 1997 was used. It is seen that Substance use, Humor, Behavior Disengagement, Ventilation and Self-blame were found to have low mean. Self-Distraction, Active Coping, Denial Emotional, Support Instrumental Support, Positive Reinforcement, Planning and Acceptance were found to have moderate mean. Caregiving is one of the important aspects of the any persons who looked after the illness. The caregiving is not a simple task it involves various kinds of burden and distress. In many time caregivers are seriously affected their quality of life. In this connection this study was carried out to knowing the coping of the caregiver’s of persons with dementia. Care services should facilitate easy access to counselling, relaxation, psychotherapy, and practical advice for those who needed it.
