Caregiving is the act of attending to someone or of providing services to an individual in need. It is a complex activity, with ethical, psychosocial, & demographic dimensions, as well as clinical, technical, & community service components. The author describes the complexities of caregiving & the burdens on the family in a rapidly aging society. He points out that caregiving is associated with significant risk for psychopathology & that a more comprehensive approach to the evaluation & management of chronically ill patients is necessary. (42 refs)