Extended Care-Giving:

For the most part, care-giving is a function expected, even demanded, by terminally ill spouses, their families, and friends. This paper includes a brief introduction to issues surrounding care-giving , a fictionalized story of a long term care-giver, and interviews with ten women and two men who served as care-givers. The care-givers read the story and responded to it in terms of their own experiences. Their stories are reported here to illuminate the care-giving role as seen by care-givers themselves.