Caregiving Attitudes and Needs of Later-generation Chinese-American Family Caregivers of Older Adults

Abstract

Due to linguistic and cultural adjustments to a new country, first-generation immigrant’s caregiving challenges have been well-documented. However, little is known of U.S.-born, U.S.-educated, English-speaking later-generation caregivers’ (2nd, 2.5, and 3rd-generation) attitudes and needs regarding caregiving. Given this context, we interviewed 40 later-generation Chinese-American caregivers in Seattle and Houston. Caregivers had a mean age of 59 years, were married, college-educated, and working females with children. The later the caregiver’s generation, the higher their acculturation, but their sense of filial responsibility remained high across generations. While Seattle caregivers wish to live in a high-quality, long-term care facility, Houston caregivers prefer to live with their adult children for their future care. Findings emphasize the importance of understanding the caregivers’ ethnically and generationally specific caregiving attitudes and preferences for geographically specific services. Collaborating with existing local organizations, it is critical to ensure that the provision of services meets local Chinese-American caregivers’ needs and preferences.