Iran Journal of Nursing

Background: Although family caregiving is the essential part in health care systems, but there is not any qualitative research in Iran about nature of family caregiving process in frail elderly at home. Aim: The present study is a part of study about family caregiving process and its aim has been determining of facilitator and barrier factors of this process .

 Method : In this grounded theory study according to Strauss and Corbin's approach(1998) , 14 family caregivers participated and data was gathered by in-depth semi-structured interview and observation in the field and movies .All of interviews were transcribed and were analyzed through open, axial and selective coding. Triangulation of the data gathering from different methods, prolonged engagement with caregivers, member check by participants and experts, was used to increase rigor of the study.

 Findings :"Searching a balance point" is the family care giving process and core variable in this study. Caregivers experienced facilitator and barriers factors in 6 sub-groups that affect the caregiving process.

Conclusion : Modifying facilitator and barriers factors by improvement of other family members participation and assistance , caregiver support , improvement of caregiving knowledge , providing facilities and establishing appropriate health care and wellbeing policies not only for caregiver but also for care recipient would be effective in managing of the process by caregivers.