A series of four ethnographic interviews with 15 family caregivers revealed 5 organizing themes of meaning: Senses of Self, of Managing, of Future, of Fear or Risk, and of Change in Role and Responsibility. Relationships among the caregivers, the care-receivers, other family members, and professionals were characterized by a theme of tension from discordant views of the caregiving situation. Effective partnerships between formal and informal caregivers depend on understanding family perspectives.
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Betty Risteen Hasselkus (1988) studied this question.