Interventions for women as family caregivers

Family caregivers are the mainstay of long-term care, as they enable chronically ill elders and children to remain at home. The majority of family caregivers are women and historically their caregiving role has been viewed as an extension of their roles as wife and mother. Although numerous studies report the stresses associated with family caregiving and are predictors of burden, less attention has been given to interventions for family caregivers. The objective of this review is to examine reports of interventions to reduce family caregiver burden, to consider their implications for nursing practice, and to identify directions for future nursing research.