Grandparents raising grandchildren is a widespread phenomenon that has continued to increase during the last decade. The responsibility for raising grandchildren is a challenge to grandparents, not only in terms of financial burdens but also of attendant health problems. The purpose of this paper was to describe from a nursing perspective the health of grandparents in grandparent-grandchild households. The health issues of grandparents were discussed in the physical, mental, social and spiritual domains. By reviewing and discussing the literature on the issue of grandparents raising grandchildren, a conceptual framework was constructed to provide information for further studies into this issue.