Decision-Making Process of Nursing Home Placement Among Chinese Family Caregivers

PURPOSE. To understand the process and difficulties that Chinese family caregivers experience when making a nursing home placement decision for their loved ones with dementia. DESIGN AND METHODS. Using a grounded theory approach, data were collected through individual interviews with 30 Chinese family caregivers in Taiwan. FINDINGS. A stage-based framework was generated that described how caregivers went through the decision-making process, what specific challenges they encountered within the process, and how they overcame difficulties to reach their decisions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. By identifying the stages of the decision-making process and various challenges that caregivers experience, clinicians can enhance discussions with caregivers to decrease the decision-making burden. Clinicians might develop family-centered interventions for the decision-making process through the post-placement stage while taking into account cultural influences.