Home care of the elderly: a family perspective.

Family home care of the elderly has become a primary focus of nursing theory, practice, and research. Traditional study of home care of the elderly, particularly the cognitively impaired, has focused on the experience of the caregiver. There is a need for consideration of the perception of the care recipient and the entire family unit. A model to explain the characteristics of the elderly care recipient, as well as theoretic and methodologic implications, are offered.