Managing caregiving at home: Thai caregivers living in the United States

The positive effects identified by the participants included a sense of fulfillment and gratitude. They felt closer to their ill relatives and reported feeling proud and confident as a caregiver. One woman said, "We are very close. But we feel much closer since he became ill." She mentioned that she had more confidence in taking care of an ill person and believed she could even use her knowledge to teach others to provide care. Another son described a feeling of fulfillment as a positive impact of caregiving; he explained that having a chance to show gratitude to his mother was a "good feeling."

In addition, all participants in this study reported finding meaning through the experience of caregiving, resulting in positive inner growth and a better understanding of life and religious beliefs. The following statement is indicative.

  When I was in Thailand. I was a monk for almost a
  year ... I feel that right now I understand the Buddhist
  teaching more clearly. You know everything
  Buddhism teaches is true: law of karma, law of
  change.

The Consequences of Caregiving category incorporates both negative and positive aspects of caregiving. Interestingly, all the caregivers found that they had more positive feelings about taking care of their loved ones than negative. Even when experiencing an overwhelming burden in the caregiving experience, the caregivers in this study still found the experience to be meaningful and purposeful.

Dealing with the Difficulties of Caregiving

Caregivers used several management strategies to deal with the difficulties of caregiving. Four themes illuminate this category: (a) family support, (b) social support, (c) coping strategies and (d) collaboration with care recipients.

Family Support. The caregivers discussed receiving substantial support from family members and relatives. Family resources play an important role in providing emotional, financial and material support. The son of an elderly mother talked about the help he received from his family, particularly the money he received from his siblings. Many of the participant described their families as being very close. The participated in discussions of how to best provide care for their chronically ill family member and how to help the caregiver manage the difficulties of the caregiving role.

Social Support. Most participants also received various types of support from friends, neighbors and health care providers including praise, compliments and being present when needed. The wife of a cancer patient said that her neighbors and friends gave her "a lot of encouragement."

The daughter of a woman who had suffered a stroke said that talking to her friends helped her "relax and feel good" because her friends knew what she had been through. This participant also stated that praise and compliments from neighbors, friends and health care providers made her feel proud, and motivated her to continue caregiving as long as possible. However, none of the participants reported using community services or attending support groups.