Objective: To understand grieves and struggles of family caregivers providing care for bedridden elderly patients affected by chronic degenerative diseases. Methods: This cross-sectional study was developed following the guidelines of the clinical-qualitative method. The sample was composed of 10 female family caregivers of bedridden elderly patients affected by chronic degenerative diseases in a city in the interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The sample size was determined by data saturation.