Lived experiences of older male caregivers: "That was the Worst!"

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Although caregiving is a traditional female role, older men represent an increasing proportion of family caregivers. This study's aim was to describe lived experiences of men who engaged in later-life caregiving. METHOD: Streubert's phenomenological method, inclusive of unstructured interviews and respondent validation of a single formalized description, was applied to explore lived experiences of eight older male caregivers. RESULTS: Three overarching themes characterized older male caregiving 1) role and life changes, 2) "taking care of business," and 3) getting over "the worst". All caregivers spent extensive time in anticipatory planning for potential problems and were dissatisfied with existing resources and services. Each man described a profound, mentally-challenging caregiving crisis that triggered important caregiving decisions. DISCUSSION: Study findings support an urgent need for research to clarify the mental health needs of older male caregivers and to test interventions that better meet the unique needs of this growing caregiver demographic.