Transnational Caregiving: Part 1, Caring for Family Relations Across Nations

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Erica Dhar
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Cultural Perspectives ◽  
Large Numbers

This article concerns how globalization and the aging of the world’s population are affecting the already complex issue of intergenerational transnational caregiving. Globalization has caused an increase in workforce mobility with large numbers of individuals seeking employment overseas. This, coupled with increased longevity globally, has resulted in many workers leaving their elderly parents in need of care in their home countries. This has spawned caregiving across national borders, or caring for family relations across nations. Currently in the United States, not enough emphasis is given to family caregiving. Data compiled by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving estimate the economic value for this group of family caregivers in 2007 to be $375 billion, accounting for 34–52 million family caregivers per given year. This does not include those families who are transnational caregivers. The seminal work in this emerging field has been done by social anthropologists Loretta Baldassar, Cora Velekoop Baldock, and Raelene Wilding, who have defined the components of transnational caregiving based on an ethnographic study using qualitative data to study nine immigrant communities in Western Australia. Although their research focused on caregiving from a distance, additional work has been added to the discussion by introducing the element of “care drain” and further cultural perspectives. Therefore, this research is an exploratory study on intergenerational transnational caregiving within the context of the changing world and its demographics. Within the context of globalization and global aging, the following questions are addressed: What is the significance of family caregiving? What is a transnational? How has technology changed “transnationalism” today? What are the elements that comprise transnational caregiving? How does culture play a role in transnational caregiving? What are some of the national initiatives undertaken by governments to aid in workforce issues and recognition of caregiving organizations? By exploring these questions, it is hoped that there will be a better understanding of transnational caregiving and its relevance in all societies.

Making Sense of Sibling Responsibility for Family Caregiving

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1673-1686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Willyard ◽  
Katherine Miller ◽  
Martha Shoemaker ◽  
Penny Addison
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Sibling Relationships ◽  
The United States ◽  
Family Values ◽  
Individual Activity ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Family Boundaries

As the population in the United States and around the globe ages, families are faced with decisions about caregiving for elderly parents. Research suggests that daughters often take on these stressful caregiving responsibilities, with varying levels of help from siblings. In this article, we examine these sibling relationships within the caregiving context, considering the ways in which siblings negotiate the division of tasks for elderly parents and make sense of siblings who provide little help in caregiving activities. Our content analysis of interviews with 25 family caregivers indicated that there was little negotiation of caregiving tasks. Furthermore, family caregivers make sense of sibling participation in caregiving in three ways. First, some caregivers account for caregiving as an individual activity for which they are especially suited. Second, some caregivers see caregiving as stemming from values about family life, but excuse nonparticipant siblings by defining them as outside family boundaries. Finally, caregivers with strong family values who could not make sense of siblings through an exclusionary frame engaged in verbal backtracking during the telling of their stories as a way of making sense of personal caregiving responsibilities.

scholarly journals POLICY SERIES: NEW FAMILY CAREGIVING RESEARCH TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE CHANGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S747-S747
Author(s):  
Jean C Accius ◽  
Heather Young
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Wound Care ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Practice Change ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
New Family

Abstract Families are the most important source of support to older adults. Today, there is growing recognition of the escalating complexity of family caregiving. Family caregivers are increasingly carrying out health-related tasks with little training or preparation, as well as continuing to provide the majority of long-term services and supports (LTSS) at home. Providing care in the context of rapidly changing health care and LTSS systems can have a significant impact on the family members who provide care and take a significant toll, emotionally, physically, and financially. Studies commonly show that family caregivers report learning complex tasks by trial and error and worry about making a mistake. This symposium highlights new caregiving research from the AARP Public Policy Institute. The first paper will present new research on the increasing complexity of the challenges facing family caregivers, such as managing multiple medications, wound care, and interaction with the health care system. The second paper will present new data on the economic value of the unpaid contributions of family caregivers in the United States. The third paper will examine the growing importance of family caregiving on the public policy agenda, and describe recent policy developments that recognize and explicitly support caregiving families. Recommendations for policy and practice change to address caregiving needs will be examined in all papers. Our discussant will identify key implications from this research for policymakers and practitioners, and potential drivers for developing a better system of family support at the federal and state levels.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Discrimination and Filial Caregivers’ Age on Aspects of Physical Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 360-360
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen Wong
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Filial caregivers (e.g., individuals caring for a parent or parent-in-law) are a part of the growing number of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. The responsibilities that filial caregivers navigate in midlife and late adulthood may expose them to multiple types of discrimination that may decrease their physical health, though this relationship has been understudied. As numbers of family caregivers grow, it is important to examine the potential vulnerability of younger and older filial caregivers’ physical health in the context of discrimination. Informed by the life course perspective, this study compares the physical health of younger (aged 34-64) and older (aged 64-74) filial caregivers who experience discrimination. Filial caregivers (N=270; Mage=53; SD=9.37) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II) Survey reported on demographics, family caregiving, daily discrimination, self-rated physical health, and chronic conditions via questionnaires and phone interviews. Regression analyses showed no differences between younger and older adults’ self-rated physical health or average chronic conditions. However, moderation analyses revealed that younger filial caregivers who experienced greater discrimination reported poorer self-rated physical health than their older counter parts as well as younger and older filial caregivers who experienced less discrimination. Additionally, younger caregivers with greater discrimination exposure exhibited more number of chronic conditions as compared to other caregivers. The study results highlight the impact of the intersection between filial caregivers’ age and discrimination on physical health. Findings have the potential to inform programs that could promote the health of filial caregivers in the face of discrimination.

scholarly journals WORK-RELATED OPPORTUNITY COSTS OF PROVIDING UNPAID FAMILY CARE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S135-S135
Author(s):  
Stipica Mudrazija
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Family Care ◽  
National Study ◽  
Nursing Facilities ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Older Americans living in the community who need help with basic activities of daily living overwhelmingly rely on unpaid care provided most commonly by working-age family members. Because unpaid family care limits the demand for nursing facilities and reduces expenses paid by Medicaid and other government programs, previous estimates of its economic value have mostly focused on estimating the benefits of unpaid family care. However, to assess accurately the overall economic value of unpaid family care and define better the scope for policy intervention, it is also important to account for the costs of such care, yet our knowledge of their magnitude remains limited. This study assesses the impact of unpaid family caregiving on the likelihood of working and hours worked for caregivers, and calculates the related cost of forgone earnings today and in 2050. To do so, it matches family caregivers from the National Study of Caregiving with non-caregivers from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and uses projections from the Urban Institute’s DYNASIM microsimulation model to inform calculations of future costs of foregone earnings. Results suggest that the cost of foregone earnings attributable to caregiving is currently about $67 billion. By mid-century, it will likely more than double, outpacing the growth of disabled older population as the share of better-educated caregivers with higher earning capacity increases. Policymakers can use these results to inform their current and future policy efforts aimed at assisting family caregivers who are facing the challenge of balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.

scholarly journals THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF FAMILY CAREGIVING: NEW NATIONAL ESTIMATES AND STATE VARIATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S748-S748
Author(s):  
Ari Houser ◽  
Ari Houser
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
State Variation ◽  
National Estimates ◽  
Total Economic Value ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Services And Supports

Abstract The economic value of family caregiving, by any measure, dwarfs actual expenditures on formal long-term services and supports (LTSS). This presentation discusses new estimates of the number of caregivers, intensity of caregiving, and the total economic value of family caregiving in 2017 in the United States, and in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, based on a meta-analysis of recent nationally representative surveys of family caregivers. Previous analyses of this type have found that the total economic value of family caregiving has increased steadily from $350 billion in 2005 to $470 billion in 2013. State variation in the incidence, intensity, and economic value of caregiving will be discussed, and key predictors of this variation will be identified.

Family Caregiving and the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
The United States ◽  
Retirement Savings ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Retirement Benefits ◽  
Lifetime Earnings ◽  
The Impact

The United States relies on uncompensated family caregivers to provide most of the long-term care required by older adults as they age. But such care comes at a significant financial cost to these caregivers in the form of lower lifetime earnings and diminished (or even no) Social Security retirement benefits, ineligibility for Medicare coverage of their healthcare costs, and minimal retirement savings. To reduce the impact of uncompensated caregiving on the intergenerational transmission of poverty, this paper discusses three possible mechanisms of compensating family caregivers: public payments, deemed wage credits under Social Security, and income tax incentives.

scholarly journals Societal perceptions of caregivers linked to culture across 20 countries: Evidence from a 10-billion-word database

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0251161
Author(s):  
Reuben Ng ◽  
Nicole Indran
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Aging Parents ◽  
Culturally Sensitive Interventions ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Care Deficit

Caregivers play an indispensable role in society. In 2017, 41 million family caregivers in the United States provided approximately 34 billion hours of care to their aging parents, spouses, partners and friends. The estimated economic value of their unpaid contributions amounted to $470 billion. Despite their invaluable contributions, caregivers often operate in a reality of inadequate social support. Little is known about the factors linked to the societal perceptions of caregivers, and our study seeks to contribute by filling this gap. Importantly, whether society honors or stigmatizes caregivers is critical as it could impact caregiving decisions and either exacerbate or ameliorate caregiver burden. We leveraged an online media database of 10 billion words collated from over 28 million articles, across 20 countries, to analyze societal perceptions of caregivers. Of the 20 countries, 18 evidenced neutral to positive perceptions of caregivers. Bangladesh and Ghana had the most positive perceptions, while Sri Lanka and Tanzania had the most negative perceptions. Aging demographics and culture (individualism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance) were significantly associated with perceptions of caregivers. Findings suggest that positive perceptions of caregivers can be better cultivated when caring is lauded as a virtuous act that aids in reducing the care deficit. This study is among the first to analyze the societal perceptions of caregivers globally, and lays the groundwork to design culturally sensitive interventions that increase society’s appreciation for caregivers.

Elder Care as Family Labor

1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEFFREY W. DWYER ◽  
KAREN SECCOMBE
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Elder Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Family Labor ◽  
Frail Elders ◽  
Nationally Representative

This research indicates that gender differences in the performance of specific caregiving tasks and the amount of time spent providing care by family caregivers of frail elders should be considered in the context of family position-related norms and expectations. Using a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized impaired elderly people in the United States ( N = 813), the results show that husbands (when compared to wives) and daughters (when compared to sons) report spending more time and performing a greater number of caregiving tasks. The authors suggest that family position may confound interpretations regarding the association between gender and family caregiving.

scholarly journals Caregiving in a Pandemic: COVID-19 and the Well-Being of Family Caregivers 55+ in the United States

2022 ◽  
pp. 107755872110624
Author(s):  
Yulya Truskinovsky ◽  
Jessica M. Finlay ◽  
Lindsay C. Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
More Care ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Little is known about the effects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on older family caregivers. Using data from a national sample of 2,485 U.S. adults aged ≥55, we aimed to describe the magnitude of disruptions to family care arrangements during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associations between these disruptions and the mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-rated health) and employment outcomes (job loss or furlough, hours or wages reduced, transition to work-from-home) of family caregivers. We found that COVID-19 disrupted over half of family caregiving arrangements, and that care disruptions were associated with increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness among caregivers, compared with both noncaregivers and caregivers who did not experience disruptions. Family caregivers who experienced pandemic-related employment disruptions were providing more care than caregivers who did not experience disruptions. These findings highlight the impact of the pandemic on an essential and vulnerable health care workforce.

Types of Family Caregiving and Daily Experiences in Midlife and Late Adulthood: The Moderating Influences of Marital Status and Age

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 719-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen D. Wong ◽  
Yetunde Shobo
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Daily Diary Study ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
The Life Course

Guided by the life-course perspective, this study contributes to the family caregiving, aging, and disability literature by examining the daily experiences of three types of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. A sample of 162 caregivers from the National Survey of Midlife in the United States study completed interviews, questionnaires, and a Daily Diary Study. Multilevel models showed the patterns of daily time use did not differ by caregiver types. Caregivers of sons/daughters with developmental disabilities (DD) experienced more daily stressors than caregivers of parents with health conditions (HC) and caregivers of spouses with HC. Unmarried caregivers of sons/daughters with DD reported spending more time on daily leisure activities and exhibited greater daily stressor exposure than other family caregivers. Age did not moderate the associations between caregiver types and daily experiences. Findings highlight the important consideration of the caregivers’ characteristics to better determine the quality of their daily experiences in midlife and late adulthood.

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