Family caregivers of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized elderly individuals.

This article provides an overview of the literature that has examined the issues of institutionalization and community care of elderly persons. Specifically, those studies are discussed that report on the family's decision to institutionalize the elderly person and those that report on the effect of institutionalization of the family. Studies about community caregiving that report on caregiver characteristics, the stress of caregiving, and interventions to manage care issues and caregiver stress also are detailed. Implications for nursing research and practice can be derived from the article.