Theoretical formulations of stress and coping, family systems, crisis intervention, and loss and grief have inadequately explained how persons might grow and find meaning through their caregiving experiences. An existential theoretical framework guided the data interpretation in a qualitative study of 94 dementia family caregivers. Results suggest that an existential framework provides an alternative paradigm for understanding the caregiving experience.

In recent years, nurse researchers have given more attention to the role that hope plays in health and illness. While this research adds to the knowledge base about hope, that this knowledge may become too theoretical and difficult to apply in the clinical setting. Based on a study of hope conducted with community-based older adults, an analysis of the hope instruments used in this study, and ongoing clinical experiences, a guide for the clinical assessment of hope is proposed.

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The Partners in Care program was an eight-week education and support group designed to create an environment where family caregivers and nursing home staff could share their knowledge about caregiving and reduce ambiguity about caregiving roles in the nursing home. Twenty-seven caregivers (17 attended group meetings and 10 served as the contrast group) participated in an evaluation of the program. Pretest and post-test scores on the Knowledge of Nursing Home Caregiving scale, staff observations, anecdotal information and continuing partnerships suggest that both staff and family caregivers benefitted from the program. This article describes the development, implementation and evaluation of the Partners in Care program.