How Do Family Caregivers of Older People Give Up Caregiving?

BACKGROUND Population aging has social, economic and political consequences. Most family caregivers prefer to care for their family member older person with chronic disease at home. Despite traditional culture within Iranian families, in some cases, hospitalization of the elderly in nursing home is inevitable, and this affects the old person and his/her family. The aim of this study was to explain how Iranian family cargivers give up caring their older person with chronic condition at home. METHODS A grounded theory approach was used to conduct the study. The study setting included four nursing homes under the auspices of Iran Welfare Organization. Fourteen participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected from December 2010 to March 2011 by Semi-structured interviews lasting about 17 to 95 minutes (average 52 minutes). Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS Three main categories appeared at the end of the analysis: "going out of the road of usual life", "challenge of meeting older person, family and caregivers care needs", and "the appearance of inconstancy in the family". They explained exclusively how family caregivers of old people give up caregiving. CONCLUSION Health care providers are recommended to become familiar with challenges of family caregivers in taking care of older person with chronic disease at home, and then organize their supportive and consulting actions according to family situations in order to improve the life quality of older person and family caregivers.