Elderly Parents as Caregivers for Their Adult Dependent Children

Abstract

the area of parental caregiving with the aim these families. ents, and ambivalence about conflicts be of sensitizing those in the helping profes- tween duty to parents and duty to children, sions to a group of neglected families. First, In addition, providing care for individuals the essential role of elderly parents as the ——requires changes and adjustments in life major resource and support for their adult styles. Studies have found that caregivers disabled children and the stresses asso- the early 1940s with the development and are most likely to give up activities that have ciated with the responsibility will be widespread use of sulfonamide drugs, peni- some elasticity and are more marginal to described. Second, the limited knowledge cillin, and other antibiotics.3 Approximately personal and family equilibrium and sur and services available to elderly parents four million Americans are developmentally vival. Adjustments frequently occur in the and their children will be discussed. Third, disabled, with an estimated 50,000 to areas of free time for oneself, socializing with some implications for research and practice 315,000 elderly retarded persons, and the friends, taking vacations, having leisure that will enhance the functioning of these number is growing because of improve- time pursuits, and running one's own families as they age will be suggested. Be- ments in health care that contribute to home.9 For spouses and children who pro cause the families are neglected, their prob- longevity.4 While some of the individuals vide care, the caregiving generally starts lems are undefined and their needs unmet, may be placed in institutions, many live at later in life, but parents have had the care For effective practice with these families, home. For most of these individuals, family of their children from birth or very early in social workers need to know about them members are the primary caregivers, who the child's life, and their unique needs. provide most of the necessary assistance or In this article, dependency refers to any supervision. The Report to Congress by the cottdz-itc nv ctdpcc condition that interferes to some degree Comptroller General in 1977 found that oUUKlyB^ U* S1KLSS with a person's ability for normal role per- family and friends provide more than 50 Parents of adult dependent children face formance, limits mobility, or prevents the percent of the services received by develop- many demands for continuing their role as mastery of some self-help skills. The mentally disabled persons at all impair- parents. These demands extend far beyond disability also is lifelong or of extended ment levels and more than 70 percent of the time when such caregiving is termi duration. Individuals in this group may be the services received by the severely im- nated or greatly reduced for parents of mentally retarded, developmentally handi- paired.5 Many of the caregivers likely are nondependent children. The parents of capped, or mentally or physically impaired, parents, who themselves may be frail and adult dependent children deal with the issue The marked increase in the number of need some level of care as they cope with of perpetual parenthood, which becomes disabled persons in this country began in the stresses associated with providing care, more a reality as the parents and child age.