| Research has shown that the number of grandparent caregivers is on the rise. Normally, this is a time in which grandparents are looking forward to enjoying a well-deserved and much anticipated rest time. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of what it means to be a grandparent caregiver based on the perceptions, experiences, and feelings of the participants and add to the dearth of information in literature. This phenomenologically enhanced qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 12 grandparent caregivers between the ages of 44 and 70 who were raising at least one grandchild. C. Moustakas' 1994 transcendental phenomenological approach governed the framework and data analysis for this study. The participants' responded in a semi-structured focus group interview setting. The results of the data revealed four core themes that contributed to the grandparent caregiver role. |
