Caregiver stress theory is a middle-range theory that was developed from Roy's coping model to understand the relationships between caregivers and the stress they may face in caring for a chronically ill family member (Tsai, 2003 ). Caregiver stress comes from family members, usually children or spouses, having to care for your loved one as they age and lose their independence. Children usually feel obligated to take care of their parents and normally want to take care of this person who has taken care of them their whole life. However, something these caregivers don't count on is all the added stress that comes with caring for a sick adult, especially if that sick person has a chronic condition like dementia or heart failure. Emotional upheaval, financial burden, and time commitment all lead to caregiver stress. This article will examine the difficulties faced by caregivers in relation to the chronic conditions of dementia and heart failure, examine why there is an increase in patients receiving healthcare from family members at home, and the application of the theories in nursing practice. According to Brodaty and Donkin (2009) It is estimated that there are over 30 million people living with dementia worldwide and this figure is believed to double every 20 years. Without a caregiver such as a spouse, a child, or their children's spouses, these people would have a poor quality of life and would most likely be institutionalized much sooner. They say people with dementia are cared for more often by women in developing countries, such as India, than in the United States. In the United States, the percentage of men caring for family members was 40% in 2008, an increase of 21%...... middle of paper ......ournal of Community Health Nursing, 16 (4), 243 -253. doi: 10.1207/S15327655JCHN1604_4Home- the best place for health care: a position statement from the Joint Commission on the state of the home care industry. (2011). 1-17. Retrieved from http://www.jhartfound.org/images/uploads/resources/Home_Care_position_paper_4_5_111.pdfHwang, B., Sleischmann, K, E., Howie-Esquivel, J., Stotts, N, A., Dracup, K. (2011). Caregiving for patients with heart failure: impact on patients' families. American Journal of Critical Care, 20(6), 431-442. doi:10.4037Lim, J., Zebrack, B. (2004). Caring for family members with chronic physical illnesses: A critical review of the caregiver literature. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2(50), 1-9. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-50Tsai, P. F. (2003). A middle-range theory of caregiver stress. Nursing Quarterly, 16(2), 137-145. half: 12728832