Role Of Adult Children Research Articles

Intergenerational Support for Retirees: The Role of Adult Children in the Livelihood of their Parents after Retirement in Bumula Constituency, Kenya

There is a cultural expectation among the Luhyia and particularly the Bukusu sub-tribe that children’s provision of financial support and care to their retired and ageing parents is a guarantee. However, whether this is obligatory or not is still a question of discourse in among researchers and scholars. Despite an array of studies, there is no consensus on the role of children in supporting their elderly parents. This paper therefore entails a study that was conducted in an attempt to elucidate intergenerational support retirees with focus on retired primary teachers in Bumula constituency. Respondents were selected from ten locations including Bumula, Kabula, Kimaeti, Siboti, Mateka, Mayanja, Napara, Mukwa, Mabusi and Khasoko. A total of 28 respondents were obtained through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. In-depth interviews were then conducted and responses tape-recorded for thematic analysis. The Altruism Theory by Auguste Comte formed the foundation of the study as presented in this paper, the study found out that despite the high level of unemployment among youths, retired primary school teachers in Bumula received substantial economic, social and psychological support from their children. It was established that adult children's support, though on the decline, is a critical component in the life of ageing parents because it affects the quality of life after retirement and thus, requires holistic and continuous approach. Adult children's support to the elderly and more so to parents in modern society is perceived as voluntary and/ or discretional as opposed to the traditional times when it was mandatory. The study support recommends a need for concerted efforts to strengthen the agents of socialization and enhance stakeholder participation to address economic and policy factors militating against adult children's support to ensure dignified lives to the elderly.

Children's education and level of health care utilization among parents: a pooled cross-sectional study from national population-based survey in India.

The study of upward spill over on parents of their offspring's education is vital for understanding the family dynamics and role of adult children in the decisions of parents. Such association has widespread implication and application on ageing policies. We use pooled data frompopulation-based cross-sectional health consumption surveys conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization in 2014 and 2018 (rounds 71 and 75, respectively) in this study. The analysis is restricted to individuals aged 60 and above, who are head of the household or their spouse and have children aged 25years or above. The analysis is carried out for inpatient and outpatient cases separately. For inpatient analysis, the dependent variable is designed as a rank variable representing an increasing level of health care utilization. For the same partial proportional odds are calculated. For outpatient cases, the dependent variable is binary that takes the value 0 if the parents use public facilities and 1 if private facilities are used. Here, binary logistic regression is used for analysis. The odds of parents using a higher level of inpatient as well as outpatient health care are higher for those with better-educated children (inpatient: OR are 2.6 (p < 0.001, CI: 2.0-3.5); outpatient: OR are 1.5 (p < 0.001, CI: 1.1-2.2)). Education of children does influence the level of health care utilization among parents. Therefore, policy interventions can target offspring of working age group, who can assimilate information better and transfer it to their parents.

Functional disability and the role of children in U.S. older adults’ core discussion networks

AbstractThis study considered the role of adult children in the core networks of U.S. older adults with varying levels of functional health. Taking a multidimensional perspective of the ego network system, we considered (a) presence of child(ren) in the network, (b) contact with children network members, and (c) embeddedness of children within the network. We observed older parents from three waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). The common ‘important matters’ name generator was used to construct egocentric network variables, while self-reported difficulty with activities of daily life was used to measure disablement transitions. Parameters were estimated with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). Though child turnover was common in parents’ core networks, there was no evidence linking disablement transitions to systematic forms of child reshuffling. Children that remained in parents’ networks, however, showed increased contact with parents and with other members of the network when the parent underwent disability progression. Disability onset was not significantly linked to either outcome. There was limited evidence of gender variation in these patterns. Overall, results strengthen the view that children are distinctive members of older adults’ core networks. Further, the role of adult children shifts most noticeably at advanced stages of the disablement process.

Adult Children’s Support and Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms Among Disabled Chinese Older Adults

This study aimed to examine the trajectory of depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults with disabilities and the role of adult children’s support in predicting trajectory classes of depressive symptoms. Data were drawn from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2015). The sample included 1420 disabled older adults age 60+ at the baseline and completed all three waves of the data. Growth mixture model shows two-class depressive symptoms trajectories: the higher risk group (25.49%) and the lower risk group (74.51%). Logistic regression results showed that respondents who received a longer term of adult children’s instrumental support were more likely to be classified in a higher risk group after controlling the covariates (OR=1.184, p<0.05), while financial support and the frequency of contacts were not associated with the increased level of depressive symptoms. The policy implications were also discussed in this study.

East and West Ethnography in Adult Day Services: Lessons From Taiwan and the United States

Adult Day Services (ADS), an alternative to institutionalization, offer daytime programs for those with physical and/or cognitive impairments. ADS have grown rapidly in Taiwan and the U.S., to improve quality of life (QOL) and provide respite for caregivers. ADS researchers have focused primarily on caregiver outcomes, with less emphasis on consumers. Our study is among the first to examine these issues in a cross-cultural context. Surveys are insufficient for ADS attendees, since many have diminished capacity. We use ethnographic methods to more fully understand the life of clients in ADS in two countries. The focus is on clients and staff, while including the physical and social environments. Data were collected over 820 hours of observation and 77 interviews with key ADS stakeholders, including clients, for insider perspective. Comparisons between the two countries, found that infantilization (e.g., baby-talk, child-oriented activities and decor) occurred in all 10 settings to varying degrees and outcomes were shaped by culture. In Taiwan, infantilization embedded within a cultural tradition of respecting elders and exhibited as a parent-child role reversal, where staff played the adult-child role. Their over-helping and over-controlling were aimed to ‘benefit’ clients, who were seen as incompetent aging parents. In the U.S., infantilization resembled a primary school environment with elementary décor. Aides used baby-talk and ‘taught’ compulsory child-oriented songs and games. This effect was exacerbated when preschool-aged children were added, and all generations were treated similarly. Results can be translated to implement age-appropriate care environments across cultures to improve QOL in ADS.

HOW DO MENTAL HEALTH TRANSITIONS SHAPE THE ROLE OF ADULT CHILDREN IN OLDER ADULTS’ SOCIAL NETWORKS?

This study considers the role of adult children in the core networks of older adults undergoing mental health change. Taking a multidimensional perspective of the network system, I consider (a) presence of child(ren), (b) contact with children network members, and (c) embeddedness of children within the network using longitudinal data from the United States. Parameters were estimated with generalized estimating equations from the pooled panel data. There was no evidence that mental health transitions lead to systematic forms of child reshuffling or increased contact with child ties. Children that remained in networks, however, showed increased contact with other members of the network when the parent underwent depression onset, but became less embedded when their parents had chronically high levels of depression. These patterns may have far-reaching consequences for older people and their children, which could include increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation for parent and child alike.

Depression in Later Life: The Role of Adult Children's College Education for Older Parents' Mental Health in the United States.

Research on the socioeconomic gradient in mental health links disadvantaged family background with subsequent symptoms of depression, demonstrating the "downstream" effect of parental resources on children's mental health. This study takes a different approach by evaluating the "upstream" influence of adult children's educational attainment on parents' depressive symptoms. Using longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (N = 106,517 person-years), we examine whether children's college attainment influences their parents' mental health in later life and whether this association increases with parental age. We also assess whether the link between children's college completion and parents' depression differs by parents' own education. Parents with children who completed college have significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than parents without college-educated children, although the gap between parents narrows with age. In addition, at baseline, parents with less than a high school education were more positively affected by their children's college completion than parents who themselves had a college education, a finding which lends support to theories of resource substitution. Offspring education is an overlooked resource that can contribute to mental health disparities among older adults in a country with unequal access to college educations.

Intergenerational solidarity: An investigation of attitudes towards the responsibility for formal and informal elder care in Australia

This paper sets out to explore the Australian instance of a significant international problem: Intergenerational solidarity and the willingness of younger generations to support the future care of older people. It draws on Bengston’s intergenerational solidarity theory, in particular his conception of normative solidarity relative to filial obligations, to analyse data from the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes. This data demonstrates evidence of intergenerational solidarity at the policy level and a need for a continued role for government in the provision of residential care, insurance schemes, and the payment of income to full time and occasional carers. At the family level there is less support for the role of adult children in the payment of formal care or the provision of informal care. There is also a significant difference between men and women concerning the direct provision of informal care to ageing parents. Suggestions for future research are highlighted.

Moving into a care home: the role of adult children in the placement process

Admission of an older person to a care home is widely recognised as a very stressful period for the family and one which, despite community care policy, is likely to be an increasingly common experience. Although there is a growing research base in this area, there have been few studies on the role of adult children in supporting their parents during this difficult transition. This paper reports on the third stage of a grounded theory study conducted in Sweden which explored the part played by adult children in the placement process. Data were collected from 13 adult children using in-depth semi-structured interviews and the results are compared with themes previously derived from interviews with 26 spouse carers. The analysis reveals important overlaps and differences and suggests the need for further research exploring the dynamics of the placement process.

Predictors of Caregiver Health Strain

Home care nurses work with family caregivers daily. Measuring the strain involved in the role of adult children as caregivers for their elderly family members at home is the basis of this study. Results identify the decline in health reported by caregivers and give the home healthcare nurse guidance in developing interventions for the important population.

The Other Side of Caring: Adult Children with Mental Illness as Supports to Their-Mothers in Later Life

This article discusses the role of adult children with serious mental illness as a source of support to their aging parents. The data come from a cross-sectional study of 105 mothers age 55 and older who were living with and caring for an adult child with a serious mental illness. The mothers participated in in-depth face-to-face interviews conducted in their homes and also completed a set of self-administered questionnaires. The majority of mothers in this study reported that their children provided at least some ongoing help with a range of daily living tasks. As hypothesized, the adult child's assistance and support were related significantly to lower levels of maternal subjective burden. By beginning to acknowledge the contributions that people with mental illness make to their families, social workers can help clients maintain and sustain self-esteem and improve the quality of their lives.

Women in the Sandwich Generation:

The demands made upon 66 middle aged women by their elderly parents and the mediating role of adult children continuing to live at home were examined. Contrary to expectations, adult children played a strong supportive function for the women. The demands made upon the women and the supports provided by the adult children are described. Implications for human services practice are examined.

The Role of Adult Children in Their Parent's Divorce

The present research addresses two relatively unstudied issues: first, divorce in mid and later life; second, the potential influence of adult children on the divorce process in this age group. First examined is the prevalence and type of involvement of adult children in the marital conflict of their parents; second examined is the influence of the adult child in the divorce outcome for the parents.

Social Support During Adjustment to Later-Life Divorce

This study investigated the adult child's role as a provider of social support to divorced parents. Each of the 230 randomly-selected individuals participating in the survey had been divorced after 19 or more years of marriage and had at least one child over age 18. Participants ranged in age from 36 to 72 and had been married an average of 28 years prior to divorce. Respondents were asked to indicate types and amounts of support provided by children in two major areas: instrumental aid (e.g., advice, services, financial assistance) and socioemotional aid. The pattern of support varied according to the sex of the parent and the sex of the child. Mothers received significantly more support than fathers in all four categories: advice, services, financial assistance and socioemotional aid. Sons and daughters did not differ significantly with regard to frequency of providing advice or financial aid. However, sons provided significantly more services, and daughters provided significantly more socioemotional ai...

Filial Responsibility in the Welfare State

In the Norwegian welfare state, the traditional role of adult children as service providers to their aging parents exists side by side with a new role as mediator with the service bureaucracy. A random sample of 500 Norwegian elderly, living at home, was interviewed about the help they receive from public and private sources. This study shows that despite the high level of public services, adult children play an active part in caring for parents. State provision of help is shown to have no effect on daughters'service provision, but a slight negative effect on sons'help. The distribution of home help services suggests an additional role for children in securingparents this important service. Adult children, except for daughters living close by, appear to increase parents'access to public home help in the early phases of disability.

The Role of Adult Children in Helping Chronically Ill Hospitalized Parents

ABSTRACTThe study identified the types of help provided by 27 adult children to their hospitalized chronically ill parents. The investigation further examined the child's helping behavior in relation to stress and strain, as well as dependence of the parent on the child. The results demonstrated that despite profound stress and strain felt by children, they still provided a range of helping behaviors within the formal caregiving structures of the acute care hospital. Dependence was a weak indicator of the adult child's helping behavior, while stress was a stronger indicator.

Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children

Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children

Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children

Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children

Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children.

Examines and clarifies the role of adult children as service providers to elderly parents. Drawing upon extensive interviews with elderly parents and adult children, the author describes how each group perceives the relative importance of helping services and suggests means by which children can increase helping behavior.

Review of Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children.

Review of Helping Elderly Parents: The Role of Adult Children.