Getting to the point: Offspring caregivers and the nursing home decision

This article examines the ways that 11 offspring caregivers talk about the possibility of nursing home admission for their physically disabled parents and explores the relationship between caregiver burden and nursing home pl acement. Participants were part of a longitudinal population-based study of community-residing older people. Con tent analysis of extended case narrat ive from qualitative, semi-structured interviews indicates that caregiver b urden is related to feelings about nursing home use but does not necessaril y signal a reluctance to continue providing care in the community. Findings are discussed in terms of future efforts to support caregivers and keep el ders in the community.