Emerging Adult Caregivers: Quality of Contact, Ageism, and Future Caregiving

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: More emerging adults (18-25 years) are performing caregiving tasks for older adults, yet minimal research has examined how the quality of this experience may inform their willingness to provide care again in the future. Based on an intergroup contact theory framework, this study examined whether quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageist attitudes and willingness to be a caregiver at age 50. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A sample of 248 emerging adults (mean age = 23.29) providing informal care to an older adult (aged 65+) completed survey measures online. Regression analysis with interaction terms was utilized to test study hypotheses. RESULTS: Quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageism and willingness to provide instrumental and nursing care in the future. As quality of contact decreased, overt ageist attitudes became more strongly related to less willingness to provide care, and ambivalent ageist attitudes became more strongly related to greater willingness to provide care. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Caregiving during emerging adulthood may weaken the relationship between overt ageist attitudes on future caregiving intentions, especially when quality of contact is high, which is consistent with intergroup contact theory. Emerging adult caregivers may have a greater willingness to provide care in the future if supports focused on increasing quality of contact and emphasizing the strengths of the older adult population.