Using the connecting process to meet family caregiver needs.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Home-based family caregivers face unique challenges.
• Caregiving demands can lead to neglecting personal needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a substantive theory on caregiver needs.
• To understand processes for meeting these needs.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory methodology was employed.
• Qualitative data collection and analysis were used.

Main Results:

• Crucial caregiver needs include help, hope, and happiness.
• The core process of 'connecting' is vital for meeting needs.
• Subprocesses of 'misconnecting' and 'disconnecting' impact the connecting process.

Conclusions:

• Connecting is fundamental to caregiver well-being.
• Findings can guide nursing practice for caregiving families.
• This theory provides a foundation for future research.