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Vergauwen J. Children's Opportunities and Constraints in European Parent Care Over Time: A Within-Family Approach. Res Aging 2024; 46:386-399. [PMID: 38288599 DOI: 10.1177/01640275231226404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The role of children's caregiving has received substantial attention in studies on care in old age. Previous research shows that children's care provision is strongly intertwined with both their individual and siblings' situation regarding employment and geographic parent-child distance. This study uses data from six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), taking a within-family approach, to examine how caregiving is (re-)distributed between siblings over time. The provision of continuous parent care is observed more frequent and volatile in European countries with a family-based care system. The results from family fixed-effects regression models demonstrate that children working less than siblings persist in caregiving more. Living closest to parents facilitates children to keep up care efforts, while changing to living closest enhances the start of parent care. This study suggests that geographic distance is vital in the long-term organization of parent care between siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorik Vergauwen
- Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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2
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Reyes AM, Shang Y. Geographic Relocation in Response to Parents' Health Shocks: Who Moves and How Close? JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2024; 86:49-71. [PMID: 38504764 PMCID: PMC10947064 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Objective This article examines how parent-child geographic proximity changes around the onset of parental health shocks in the United States. Differences in the likelihood of moving closer across social groups are also investigated. Background Adult children often care for older parents with health problems, but this requires relatively close proximity. As families are becoming smaller and many adult children live away from their parents, it is unclear how responsive families will be to older adults' health problems. Method We estimate a series of fixed effects and event study models on data from the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2018) to assess changes in parent-child proximity after parents' first onset of cognitive impairment and functional limitations. Results We find robust evidence that parents and children tend to stay close or move closer to each other in response to parent's health declines. Moves occur immediately and in subsequent waves after the onset of health shocks. Reductions in parent-child distance are consistently larger among mother-daughter dyads, dyads without spouses or multiple children, and non-Hispanic white families. Conclusion The geographic availability of adult children to provide care is responsive to parents' needs. After the onset of a serious health condition, most older adults have a spouse or child living close enough to provide care. Parents' and children's lives are dynamically linked, and either or both may relocate to facilitate care.
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Simard-Duplain G. Heterogeneity in informal care intensity and its impact on employment. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2022; 86:102647. [PMID: 36252319 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Working-age individuals are under growing pressure to contribute unpaid time to the care of elderly family members and friends. Existing work has generally found informal care to negatively impact labor market outcomes, an effect that varies considerably by caregiving intensity, as defined by average hours of care or co-residence with the care receiver. I construct a new measure of caregiving intensity based on the length of caregiving spells. To do so, I use the Longitudinal and International Study of Adults, which provides data on the monthly caregiving status of respondents over a six-year period. I investigate how this dimension of caregiving intensity intersects with better-known measures, and show that results relying on the latter conceal substantial heterogeneity in the impact of caregiving on employment. These differences are particularly important to understand disparities in the impact of caregiving on female and male employment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Simard-Duplain
- Department of Economics, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON Canada K1S 5B6.
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4
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Patterns of help and care by adult only children and children with siblings. AGEING & SOCIETY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x22000198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Adult children with siblings can share caring for older parents but adult only children face this responsibility alone. Given increased longevity and reliance on informal care-giving, as well as an increase in one-child families, there is a need to investigate only children's care-giving further. Using data from three large-scale British birth cohorts, this paper investigates patterns of parent-care, care intensity and wellbeing at ages 38 and 42 (N = 17,255, N = 16,703; born 1970), 50 and 55 (N = 12,775, N = 11,339; born 1958) and 63 (N = 2,364; born 1946), how sibling composition intersects with gender in relation to care-giving and whether different care-giving patterns are associated with wellbeing. Only children are more likely to provide parent-care and the pattern is consistent with an interpretation that differences by sibling status might increase with age. Provision is gendered, and the sibling group composition matters for involvement. Although care-giving is related to wellbeing, we found no evidence that this differs between only children and those with siblings. The literature on only children has hitherto focused largely on childhood, suggesting that on some outcomes they benefit from a concentration of parental resources. Our results suggest that in middle adulthood parental care needs may instead be concentrated for the only child without the ‘resource’ of siblings. This indicates a need to develop further our understanding of this growing demographic subgroup.
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The effects of adult children's gender composition on the care type and care network of ageing parents. AGEING & SOCIETY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x21001999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Although the literature on informal care-giving for older parents shows that daughters have a higher tendency to provide care compared with sons, only a few studies have focused on the gender composition of all children or parents’ entire range of care options. Our study examines the effect of children's gender composition on informal and formal care types, as well as the informal care network. Using data from the 2015 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (N = 40,312), we found that parents with daughters tended to use less formal care because daughters take on additional informal care-giving responsibilities. Daughters were the main care-givers among parents’ informal care networks. Further analysis indicated that daughters-in-law play an important role in the care-giving process when parents have only sons. We concluded that the presence of a daughter among the children reduces the use of formal care. The results indicated that children's gender composition is an important factor in explaining the allocation of informal care to parents.
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Herrera MS, Fernández MB. Gender and family structures affecting intergenerational support from adult children to older parents: A cross-national study in a developing country. J Women Aging 2022; 35:280-298. [PMID: 35286227 DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2022.2044709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In Latin America, informal support from adult children to their older parents ("upward support") is crucial with an aging population and insufficient coverage of social protection systems. This article examines variables associated with upward support, distinguishing by gender of parents and their children. The research design is quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional. It is based on primary survey data collected by the authors for the study. The authors hypothesized that upward support depends on children's opportunities to provide support and on the needs of parents. The results show that upward support depends more on children's opportunities than on parents' needs, although upward support is higher for parents with poorer health. Daughters are more supportive than sons, but sibling characteristics do not moderate associations between children's gender and receipt of support. Cohabiting with the parent, receiving support from the parent, and having a good relationship were also associated with greater upward support. Therefore, policies should consider the gender of adult children when allocating resources to older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Soledad Herrera
- Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Studies in Age and Aging (Centro de Estudios de Vejez y Envejecimiento CEVE-UC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Millennium Institute for Caregiving Research (MICARE), Santiago, Chile
| | - M Beatriz Fernández
- Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Studies in Age and Aging (Centro de Estudios de Vejez y Envejecimiento CEVE-UC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Millennium Institute for Caregiving Research (MICARE), Santiago, Chile
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Lin IF, Wolf DA. Division of Parent Care Among Adult Children. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 75:2230-2239. [PMID: 31883022 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many older adults rely on their children's support to sustain community residence. Although filial norms encourage adult children to help their parents, not every child provides parent care in times of need. The majority of prior studies have adopted an individualistic perspective to examine factors associated with individual children's caregiving behavior. This study complements previous work by using the family systems perspective to understand how caregiving responsibilities are allocated among children in the family and how the pattern of care division evolves over time. METHOD Data came from seven rounds of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011-2017), in which community-dwelling respondents were asked about all of their children and which children provided them with care. Multilevel models were estimated to examine how caregiving responsibilities were distributed among children and how the children's caregiving efforts responded to changes in their parents' frailty. RESULTS About three quarters of older adults reported receiving help from only one child, and the average of monthly care hours was about 50 at baseline. As parents' frailty increased, the proportion of children providing parents rose and the allocation of parent-care hours became more equal. DISCUSSION This study underscores the importance of using the family systems perspective to better understand adult children's caregiving behavior. Although just one adult child providing care is the most common caregiving arrangement initially, adult children tend to work with their siblings to support parents' aging in place as parents' need for care increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Fen Lin
- Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
| | - Douglas A Wolf
- Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, New York
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Bonneuil N, Kim Y. Who (still) cares? Patterns of informal caregiving to adult dependents in South Korea, 2006–2012. ASIAN POPULATION STUDIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/17441730.2019.1701803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noël Bonneuil
- Institut national d’études démographiques (Ined) and École des hautes études en sciences sociales (Éhess), Paris cedex 20, France
| | - Younga Kim
- Korea Labor Institute, Sejong-si, South Korea
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9
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Abstract
AbstractThe extent to which, and the reasons why, children help to care for their parents are examined in an extensive range of literature. Although care for parents essentially takes place in parent–child dyads, many of these studies acknowledge that the amount of care a child gives is generally the outcome of collective decisions in multiple-child families. However, to our knowledge, no research in Europe enhances our understanding of how sibling characteristics influence an individual child's care-giving. Using data for 14 European countries from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, the present study relates pre-care-giving sibling characteristics to children's subsequent start of giving care. This longitudinal approach allows correction for the endogenous nature of time-changing predictors. The analysis demonstrates that daughters start to care more often when they have brothers instead of sisters. This pattern of gendered intergenerational care particularly applies to southern European countries. We also observe that both pre-care-giving parent–sibling frequency of contact and geographic distances predict children's care-giving transition strongly. Children who are closer to their parents than siblings in terms of contact and proximity have higher odds of care-taking. Finally, being the only child without a job enhances the start of care-giving as well. The results suggest that sibling characteristics are an important factor in explaining intergenerational care differences between children in Europe.
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Kemp CL, Ball MM, Morgan JC, Doyle PJ, Burgess EO, Perkins MM. Maneuvering Together, Apart, and at Odds: Residents' Care Convoys in Assisted Living. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2019; 73:e13-e23. [PMID: 29401238 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbx184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Frail and disabled individuals such as assisted living residents are embedded in "care convoys" comprised of paid and unpaid caregivers. We sought to learn how care convoys are configured and function in assisted living and understand how and why they vary and with what resident and caregiver outcomes. Method We analyzed data from a qualitative study involving formal in-depth interviews, participant observation and informal interviewing, and record review. We prospectively studied 28 residents and 114 care convoy members drawn from four diverse assisted living communities over 2 years. Results Care convoys involved family and friends who operated individually or shared responsibility, assisted living staff, and multiple external care workers. Residents and convoy members engaged in processes of "maneuvering together, apart, and at odds" as they negotiated the care landscape routinely and during health crises. Based on consensus levels, and the quality of collaboration and communication, we identified three main convoy types: cohesive, fragmented, and discordant. Discussion Care convoys clearly shape care experiences and outcomes. Identifying strategies for establishing effective communication and collaboration practices and promoting convoy member consensus, particularly over time, is essential to the creation and maintenance of successful and supportive care partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace L Kemp
- The Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Mary M Ball
- Division of General and Geriatric Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jennifer Craft Morgan
- The Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Patrick J Doyle
- Brightview Senior Living, Baltimore, Maryland and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Elisabeth O Burgess
- The Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Molly M Perkins
- Division of General and Geriatric Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Sociology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham/Atlanta Veterans Affairs Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), Atlanta, Georgia
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Hagan RJ, Taylor BJ, Mallett J, Manktelow R, Pascal J. Older People, Loss, and Loneliness: The Troublesome Nature of Increased Contact With Adult Children. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/1054137317742235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Older people may experience considerable loss when they endure emotional or social loneliness. Emotional loneliness is related to the loss or absence of a confidant while social loneliness describes the discrepancy between the nature of one’s desired and actual social network. In this article, both concepts are examined in relation to new attendees at time-limited day center reablement programs in Northern Ireland. Using group work activities, reablement programs aim to motivate participants to continue to live independently, often in the face of later life losses. Out of a total of 91 initial respondents (range, 61–94), 13 lived with adult children (10 of whom were lone parents). Those living with, or who had daily contact with, adult children had significantly higher levels of emotional loneliness at the start of their program, but not at the end. For this sample, reductions in emotional loneliness in certain cohorts of older adults who attend these programs have been identified. In conclusion, it is proposed that fourth age losses mediate older people’s living arrangement and may create greater vulnerability to emotional loneliness in those living with adult children. In addition, social groups may be effective in helping reduce emotional loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Hagan
- School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Brian J. Taylor
- School of Social Work, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
| | - John Mallett
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
| | - Roger Manktelow
- School of Social Work, Ulster University (Magee Campus), Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland
| | - Jan Pascal
- School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK
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Reczek C, Umberson D. Greedy Spouse, Needy Parent: The Marital Dynamics of Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Intergenerational Caregivers. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2016; 78:957-974. [PMID: 27672229 PMCID: PMC5034933 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that married heterosexual women do more intergenerational caregiving for aging parents and parents-in-law than married heterosexual men do. However, gay men and lesbian women's recent access to marriage presents new questions about the gendered marital dynamics of intergenerational caregiving. We use dyadic data with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses to examine the marital dynamics of intergenerational caregivers. Results show that gay and lesbian spouses provided intensive time and emotional support for an intergenerational caregiver. In contrast, heterosexual women described their intergenerational caregiving as rarely supported and at times even undermined by their spouse. Dyadic data on heterosexual men corroborate women's accounts; heterosexual men rarely reported providing intergenerational caregiving, and thus heterosexual women rarely described providing spousal support. These findings provide new insight into the intermingled roles of "greedy" marriages and "needy" parents, wherein marital negotiations around caregiving vary by gender for gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marital dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Reczek
- Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, 164 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210 ( )
| | - Debra Umberson
- Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, 164 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210 ( )
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13
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Abstract
Spouses often serve as the primary caregivers to their ill or disabled partners. Studies have shown that men receive more care from their wives than vice versa, but few studies have focused on how the gender gap in care varies across the later life course. Drawing on data from the Health and Retirement Study, this study examined the moderating effects of age, gender, and full-time employment on married women's and men's receipt of spousal care. This study found that among community-dwelling married adults, the gender gap in care was larger among those in middle age (50-65) than it was among those in older age. As women and men aged, the gender gap decreased primarily because men left full-time work and increased the amount of time that they spent caring for their wives. As gender differences in full-time employment narrowed, the gender gap in spousal care narrowed.
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