Problems identified by family caregivers in counseling

Content analysis of the problems that caregiving daughters and daughters-in-law (N = 51) elected to work on during counseling yielded seven categories: improving coping skills, meeting elder's care needs, responding to family issues, concern over the caregiver-recipient relationship, eliciting formal and informal supports, feelings of inadequacy and guilt, and planning for elder's future. Two global themes of maintaining control and increasing responsibility within the caregiver role were also evident. Case examples illustrate problems, and practice implications are considered.