The 1980 Canadian study relied on newspaper advertisements and referrals to obtain a sample of interviewees. The sample obtained was predominantly white and middle class. Caregivers were mostly women. A total of 44 percent of the caregivers were 50-59 years old, and 19 percent were 60 and older. The elders being cared for were in their 70's and 80's. Only 23 percent of the sample manifested any kind of elderly abuse, even of benign intent. The interviews revealed extreme stress on the caregivers. Complaints included loss of sleep, the absence of leisure time and privacy, extreme demands by the elderly person and sometimes abuse, and the resurrection of unresolved parent-child conflicts. To relieve the stress that places caregivers at high risk for becoming abusers, communities should establish support groups where caregivers can talk to others in similar situations and obtain information on services that could relieve some of the care burdens. Educational programs could also help people prepare for old age at an early age and prepare for the possibility of having to care for their elderly parents.