Using grounded theory, the authors explore informal caregiving and develop the beginnings of a substantive caregiving theory explaining some of the decision making involved in pro-viding care to an older family member. Sixteen caregivers (CGs) participated in the study. Line-by-line and dimensional analyses reveal various purposes of caregiving for an older family member. These purposes influence whether and how CGs continue to provide the care or decide to share or relinquish caregiving to health care providers. This study suggests that a broader conceptualization of caregiving is needed to illuminate fully the complexity involved in providing care to older adults.
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