A descriptive study of the attitudes of family members as caregivers toward thier elderly relatives, 1991

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of family members as caregivers toward their elderly relatives. Family members as caregivers have been the trend for several decades, thus, as the aging population are living longer, the demand for care has been greatly needed for this aging group. The population for this study were 25 African American family members as caregivers to their elderly relatives who were patients at Grady Memorial hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. A random sample was utilized in collecting data for this study. To examine the attitudes and knowledge of the participants, an Attitudinal Assessment Questionnaire was administered. The findings in this study revealed that more of the respondents were female caregivers, and a greater number of male adult siblings were identified than expected. The results of this study revealed the following: family members rather than one family member shared in the responsibility of caring for their elderly relatives; family members were prepared to take on the role as caregivers for their elderly relatives; family members had a change in family lifestyle; and family members experienced burn-out and stress