THE GUARDIANSHIP EXPERIENCE OF WOMEN - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OLDERWARDS AND THEIR GUARDIANS

This research examined how 156 female legal caregivers responded to di fficulties of being a guardian, how they derived meaning from their gu ardianship activities, and how the role of guardian influenced their p erception of aging. The most frequent activities in which guardians en gaged were visiting, providing emotional support, and to a lesser exte nt, giving instrumental assistance. Guardians described their emotiona l relationships with their wards as either ''sympathetic,'' ''sad,'' ' 'challenged,'' or ''hostile.'' Despite hardships associated with the d uties of being a guardian, most of the women perceived benefits and ex pressed satisfaction from this role. Guardians reported that the relat ionship with their female wards shaped their perception of aging and t he conception of their own aging.