Caretakers' Emotional Responses to Providing Care to Elderly Loved Ones in Assisted Living Facilities

Abstract This study examined the emotional responses of 16 care-givers of elderly loved ones who placed their relatives into assisted living facilities after they no longer could provide proper care and supervision for them. Using a qualitative approach, we examined care-givers' roles before the placement into an assisted living facility, during the decision-making process, and their continued role after their loved one had been placed. Although the circumstances of these caregivers varied, all participants reported experiencing a range of emotions. The caregivers reported guilt as the predominant emotion that they experienced. Other feelings included anger, love, reciprocity, moral commitment, obligation, happiness, sadness, and feeling generally overwhelmed.