The Organization of Family Care for Impaired Elderly

Although families currently provide the bulk of care for aged relatives, demographic changes affecting family structure and documentation of the negative effects of caregiving have resulted in reservations about its continued prevalence. The purpose of this research was to examine the assumptions underlying these reservations as well as the notion that caregiving is facilitated by a large and active support network. In contrast to previous research, this study used interview data from 597 families in which the impaired elder resided with and was cared for by household kin. Findings indicated that caregiving occurred in diverse household configurations involving a substantial proportion of male caregivers, employed caregivers, and multi-generational contexts. Despite the diversity, most caregivers indicated a permanent commitment to the role. Although each day they provided on average three hours of personal care alone, wide variation was found in the incidence and severity of stress effects. Informal and formal supports, though present, seemed to supply relatively little hands-on care.