Adult Children as Caregivers to Elderly Parents

Amy Horowitz

Previous research has shown that adult children are the predominant service and health care providers to the impaired elderly. However, relatively little is known about the conditions under which caregiving is either enhanced or hindered. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to systematically examine the caregiving relationship in order to better understand its causes and consequences. Data were collected via in-depth structured interviews with a sample of adult children (n = 131) identified as the primary caregiving relative to an older parent currently receiving home care or day care services. Bivariate and multivariate analytic techniques were utilized to identify the most salient variables associated with the two dependent variables of interest: caregiving involvement (the task and time commitment) and caregiving consequences (the perceived impact of providing care). Study...