Qualitative and descriptive research that aimed at identifying how the elderly-family relationship has been taking place by identifying the reasons that led family members to opt for the institutionalization of their elderly, obtaining also the view of the family about home caring. Data collection was performed by using an open questioning instrument. Data collection was performed from August 2002 to July 2003. The subjects of the research were relatives of elderly people living at a home in a town in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul. Through content analysis, it was seen that the greatest difficulty found by the family in spending time with their elderly relative is the "lack of time to care" for him, because most of them require full-time caring.
institutionalization; family relations; elderly; elderly health