Developmental issues of grandchildren who provide care to grandparents

This qualitative research examined the perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of grandchildren caregivers who ranged in age from 7 to 29 years. Thirty-four caregiving grandchildren participated in face to-face semistructured interviews lasting approximately 35 to 90 minutes. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Analysis of the data revealed that caregiving grandchildren: a) experienced a wide range of emotions as providers of care to their grandparents; and b) developed specific coping strategies to deal with the stress of providing care. The intensity, type, and range of emotions experienced and the coping strategies used were a reflection of the developmental issues of the grandchildren. Although grandchildren caregivers experienced similar responsibilities, their developmental level and the context in which care was provided played a role on how they were best able to cope with caregiving responsibilities. Practitioners must consider grandchildren caregivers when developing programs and services for family caregivers.