Elder Care Giving in South Asian Families: Implications for Social Service

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving on the amount of burden experienced by those who provide primary care to an elderly person within a family setting. These care givers belong to first generation South Asian immigrant households in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metropolitan area. The sample consists of 118 respondents who are primary care givers. The independent effects of cultural beliefs with respect to care giving on the amount of perceived care giver burden is examined. It is found that care givers who have high levels of belief in South Asian cultural norms about elder care giving report low levels of perceived care giver burden. The implications of this finding for provision of services to South Asian elder care givers is presented.