失能老人之照顧工作在全球人口老化後已成為中年時期必須面對之發展任務，多數失能老人期望能在家接受照顧，也較符合臺灣「在地老化」本土文化價值。不論中、西文獻均指出，家中失能老人之主要照顧者以中年女性居多。照顧工作對家庭及個人勢必引發諸多負面衝擊，多數研究呈現照顧負荷之負面觀點，本研究特別切入中年女性照顧家中失能老人的正向生命經驗，期能尋獲主要照顧者繼續照顧的能量，有別於照顧老人是負向觀感的思維。
本研究採質性研究設計（qualitative research），以立意取樣方式訪談符合本研究條件的 12位中年女性照顧者。透過半結構晤談指引進行 2～3小時的同步錄音深度訪談，錄音資料訪談後 48小時隨即轉謄為逐字稿，再以紮根理論分析法進行文本資料分析。結果發現，本研究 12位中年女性失能老人照顧者照顧過程之正向生命經驗有「正向照顧意義」、「增進夫妻親密關係」、「子女的身教典範」、「正向自我概念」及「晚年的體悟」，本研究中年女性照顧者之正向生命經驗的研究結果期能提醒普世大眾修正在家照顧失能老人之負向刻板印象。本研究亦建議未來研究能探究多樣貌家庭面對失能老人照顧負荷時之家庭韌性、介入措施及資源；另外，探討男性照顧者之經驗感受，以及比較照顧公婆與原生家庭父母親經驗感受的差異，也都是重要的研究議題。

Caring disabled elders are the midlife developmental task when aging of population. We have native culture that is “aging in place”, so most of the disabled elders like to be cared at home. Many researches find that midlife women are the main caregivers of the elders, they and their family usually suffer from heavy burdens. Most of the studies explore the negative experiences of caregiving, but this study aims to focus on the positive life experience of midlife women who caring disabled elders at home and to find the enduring energy of providing caregiving.
Grounded theory is employed in designing the research. Purposive and theoretical sampling is chosen. Participants are twelve midlife women who provide care for disabled elders every day. The semi-structure, in-depth and face-to-face interview take two to three hours. The contents of the interviews are audio-taped and typed within 48 hours after interview.
This study finds out five positive life experiences during the process of caring elders which are mentioned by midlife women. They are “positive meaning of caring, improving the intimate relation with husband, be a model of children, positive self-concept, and awareness of ageing”. We hope these findings can remind everybody to correct the negative impression about caring disabled elders at home.
We suggest some future research issues in this study such as family resilience,intervention and resources when people face caring loading. We also consider that they are both important issues to explore the experiences of midlife caregiver men, and to compare the difference between caring parents-in-law and caring biological parents.