Despite the stressors of caring for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), families institutionalize their loved one only as a last resort. What constitutes this last resort? Predictors of and risks for institutionalization have been widely examined by researchers for two decades. To date, values underpinning the critical incident leading to institutionalization of a relative with AD have not been explored. The purpose of this secondary analysis of 20 interviews with family caregivers who had recently institutionalized their relative with AD was to examine underlying values that precipitated the move. Mitchell’s definition, in 1983, of a critical incident was used as a guiding framework. Three major themes were identified: “I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened,”“It was ruining my life,” and “I had no choice.” The ability to identify underlying values precipitating critical events may help nurses plan interventions to assist increasing numbers of families faced with institutionalizing a relative with AD as our population ages.
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