Caring for One, Two, or Three Generations? Prevalence of Various Caregiving Roles and Caregiver Characteristics
2024
Understanding Caregiving Roles and Characteristics
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Zan Hua, Yancura Loriena, Barnett Melissa
Primary Institution: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Hypothesis
What are the different types of caregivers and how do their characteristics and health outcomes compare?
Conclusion
One in three adults age 50 or older are caregivers, with varying health outcomes based on the type of caregiving role.
Supporting Evidence
- One in three adults age 50 or older were caregivers.
- The majority of caregivers only cared for one generation.
- Approximately 14% of caregivers cared for multiple types of family members.
- Spousal caregivers had the highest depression score compared to other caregiver types.
Takeaway
Many older adults help take care of family members, and how they feel can depend on who they are caring for.
Methodology
The study used data from the 2018 RAND Health and Retirement Study to profile U.S. intergenerational caregivers.
Participant Demographics
Adults age 50 or older in the U.S.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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