Multiple, open-ended, qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 primary caregivers for relatives with Alzheimer's disease in order to describe caregiver self-development through the caregiving journey. Caregiver change is traced up to five years after the care recipient's death. Caregivers' capacity for caring was found to be at the core and to unfold in three phases: development of caring capacity for the care recipient, development of capacity for self-care, and development of caring capacity for others. The four elements of caring capacity (perception, motivation, competency, action) are expressed in relation to the care recipient, to the self, and to less familiar “others”. The caregiving experience tends also to prompt caregivers to become caregivers for humanity and to expand their sense of self. This may lead to the development of the altruistic self, which incorporates both a selfless concern for the welfare of others and a self-directed concern for one's own welfare.