Aging Parents’ and Middle-Aged Children’s Evaluations of Parents’ Disability and Life Problems

Lee, Hyo Jung; Kim, Kyungmin; Bangerter, Lauren R.; Zarit, Steven H.; Fingerman, Karen L.

doi:10.1007/s10804-019-09336-x

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Consistent with the recent study by Lee et al ( 2020 ), reporting that adult children tended to perceive their older parents’ functional limitations more seriously than their parents did, the current study’s participants reported that their parents were not aware of their functional decline or the potential negative consequences of their behaviors. This perception gap between older parents and adult children is markedly similar to governance transfer in adolescence and early adulthood.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Unfortunately, scaffolding is frequently mismatched, resulting in tension between older parents and adult children (Fingerman et al, 2011 ; Lee et al, 2020 ). One source of this tension is the difference in perspectives and priorities of older adults and their children.…”

Section: Tension and Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frustration, ineffective scaffolding, and misplaced helping also result from differences in parents’ and adult children’s perception of parent’s competence, functioning, and needs (Huo et al, 2018 ). Children report that their parents have more problems and greater disabilities than their parents report themselves (Lee et al, 2020 ). Discrepancies may lead to unmet needs, unwanted help, or intrusion into parents’ autonomy.…”

Section: Tension and Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although generational shifts in caregiving are complex at both ends of the life course (Eifert et al, 2016 ), late-life transitions can be particularly stressful for both parents and adult children because they involve loss, rather than growth. Changing family dynamics can create tension between parents and their adult children as well as between siblings and between spouses (e.g., Lee et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring, Scaffolding, Intervening, and Overriding: Adult Children’s Perspectives on Supporting Older Parents

2021

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When older parents experience age-related functional limitations, adult children may begin to monitor and try to control their parents’ behavior. This shift can lead to tension due to differences in values both generations share, with parents prioritizing autonomy and self-sufficiency and adult children prioritizing safety and convention. Although a great deal of research on the transition from adolescence to adulthood focuses on governance transfer and changing boundaries of autonomy, monitoring, and control, less is known about how this happens in later life. The current study used qualitative methodology to explore the dynamic balance of autonomy, safety, and care between older parents and adult children who provide assistance in their daily lives. It focused on which areas adult children were most likely to monitor and try to control and how they did so, how parents respond to those efforts, and the dynamics of information management. Sixteen adult children who had at least one living parent ( M age = 53, SD = 6.1) discussed the challenges of managing two conflicting caregiving goals: respecting parents’ autonomy and ensuring parents’ moral well-being, health, and safety. Data were analyzed using directive content analysis. Although participants were concerned about the negative consequences of their parents’ current behaviors and health conditions, they rarely impinged on their parents’ autonomy until they were prompted by an authority figure or had clear evidence that their parents’ health or safety were threatened. Parents often kept information about their activities and well-being from their children in order to protect their autonomy. Implications for balancing parents and adult children’s goals of governance transfer are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Tension and Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tension and Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring, Scaffolding, Intervening, and Overriding: Adult Children’s Perspectives on Supporting Older Parents

2021

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“…While adult children living separately from parents may be able to provide more economic support than coresident adult children (Gao et al, 2012), their needs for instrumental and emotional support may not be met (Gao et al, 2012). Although adult children may provide emotional support by telephone or social media, such as WeChat in contemporary China, older persons are much less likely to use virtual networks (Knodel & Pothisiri, 2015), and the reduced frequency of interactions may impair family ties and reduce wellbeing (Lee et al, 2020). The fact that nonresident adult children offer more upward support and receive less downward support may reduce their wellbeing, and we assume applies to both sons and daughters.…”

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intergenerational Proximity to Aging Parents and Depression Among Married Persons in China

Fan

Zhang

2022

Res Aging

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Using data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study ( N = 3864), we examined the relationship between proximity to aging parents and depression among middle-aged (45–64 years) married individuals in China. Our study depicted and explained the declining coresident rate and showed a majority of adult children live separately from their parents. Children living in different households had higher levels of depression than coresident children, including those living adjacently. Furthermore, having a coresident spouse increased the levels of depression of sons living in an adjacent dwelling and in the same city, and reduced the levels of depression of daughters living farther away. More intergenerational economic support increased the levels of depression of daughters living in an adjacent dwelling. These findings may offer a reference for married adult children to reconstruct intergenerational proximity and adjust intergenerational relations.

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Caregivers of People with Substance use or Mental Health Disorders in the US

et al. 2022

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Background: Caregiving for persons with substance use and/or mental health disorders (SU/MHD) and other conditions places significant strains on caregivers. Methods: The present study used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (a US health survey) data to (1) compare caregivers of recipients with SU/MHD to those of recipients with other conditions on demographic and caregiving characteristics and health outcomes and (2) examine demographic and caregiving characteristics that were associated with poorer health outcomes among caregivers of persons with SU/MHD. Results: Caregivers of people with SU/MHD were more likely than other caregiver groups (of recipients with medical, cognitive, developmental disability, and old age–related conditions) to report poor general health, physical health, and mental health, as well as activities limitations, having been diagnosed with depression, and binge drinking. Among the group of caregivers of recipients with SU/MHD, those caring for a parent were more likely to report poor physical health, poor mental health, depression, and binge drinking than those caring for a friend, relative, child, or spouse. In addition, caregivers who provided SU/MHD-related caregiving for a longer duration and for whom caregiving included household help were less likely to report poor mental health, depression, or binge drinking. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of the substance use disorder treatment system developing improved institutional and structural support for caregivers of recipients with SU/MHD.

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Aging Parents’ and Middle-Aged Children’s Evaluations of Parents’ Disability and Life Problems

Abstract: Aging parents' and middle-aged children's evaluations of parents' disability and life problems

Cited by 4 publications

References 60 publications

Monitoring, Scaffolding, Intervening, and Overriding: Adult Children’s Perspectives on Supporting Older Parents

Monitoring, Scaffolding, Intervening, and Overriding: Adult Children’s Perspectives on Supporting Older Parents

Intergenerational Proximity to Aging Parents and Depression Among Married Persons in China

Caregivers of People with Substance use or Mental Health Disorders in the US

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