Findings
The grandparents ranged in age from 50 to 68 years and were Canadians of European descent. Some lived in the same community as their grandchildren, while others lived up to 16 hours journey time away. Most lived within a 5- to 6-hour drive of their grandchildren, and 70% held a part-time or full-time job. These grandparents, irrespective of their work commitments or geographical distance from their children and grandchildren, were extensively involved in family caregiving activities related to having a child with a life-threatening heart condition. One of the first telephone calls that parents made after they found out about their baby’s HLHS, whether antenatally or postnatally, was to their parents. In most cases, this contact precipitated immediate responses that ranged from accompanying the child’s parents to the referral centre for further consultation and/or the birth and treatment of the baby, to caring for siblings while parents became immersed in the care of their ill baby. Grandparents articulated that one of the key ways to support the parents of the ill child was to attend to the needs of the siblings. In response to the interviewer’s question about how they supported their children and grandchildren, one grandfather said, ‘We took care of the other grandson (older sibling) a lot’. The core processes of stepping in as needed and safeguarding relationships were identified from the grandparent data with reference to their involvement with the siblings.
Implications for practice and/or policy • Grandparents’ availability and willingness to support all family members, including siblings of their sick grandchildren, need to be assessed and their full participation facilitated. • Further research regarding the influence of grandparent involvement in families of ill children is needed to determine appropriate family-centred care interventions.