Difficulties and Needs of Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents in Italy and Slovenia: A Concurrent Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Many adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) care for a grandparent (GrP) with chronic disease, especially in countries with no or low developed long-term care systems and/or level of awareness of and policy responses to young caregivers. This mixed-methods study aimed at shedding light on the needs and difficulties faced by a sample of 162 adolescents aged 15–17, caring for GrPs, living in Italy (87) and Slovenia (75), respectively. A multiple linear regression model was built for the quantitative data. Qualitative data were content analysed using an open coding process. Italian and Slovenian respondents reported a moderate amount of caring activity and relatively high positive caregiving outcomes. Nevertheless, one out of three AYCs reported health problems due to their caring responsibilities. Compared to their Italian counterparts, Slovenian respondents were supported to a lesser extent by public services. Italian respondents faced communicative and practical problems; Slovenian AYCs experienced mainly emotional discomfort. AYCs from both countries requested emotional and practical support from formal services and family networks. Further, Slovenian AYCs requested emotional support and a personalized learning plan from schoolteachers. Support measures aimed at training AYCs of GrPs on geriatric care are recommended to address specific issues related to ageing and long-term care needs.

Research and Innovation for and with Adolescent Young Carers to Influence Policy and Practice—The European Union Funded “ME-WE” Project

“…The exceptions are in Italy, where our data show that grandparents and specifically grandmothers possess the predominance of care needs. This may reflect the lack of formal community care programmes for their aging population and the preference for care to take place within the family home (see Santini et al [ 10 ], Santini et al [ 21 ] and D’Amen et al [ 17 ] for more details). Further, according to our data, significant care is provided by siblings in Sweden (21% sister; 19% brother), the UK (22% sister; 25% brother), and the Netherlands (15% sister; 29% brother) (see Table 4 ).…”

“…Other questions in the survey consisted of: A series of demographic questions; Three instruments: The Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities (MACA) [ 18 , 19 ], The Positive and Negative Outcomes of Caring (PANOC) [ 18 , 19 ] and Kidscreen 10 Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life [ 20 ]; Impacts on Education, Employment and Support section and an open-ended qualitative question: “If you’re looking after someone, what would help support you as a carer?” A further open-ended optional question: “If you are caring for an older person (aged 65 and over), what are the main difficulties you are facing?” was asked in Italy and in Slovenia respectively, two countries characterized by a familistic welfare system where it was expected that intergenerational caring was quite common. Further information on the specific analysis of AYCs of people aged 65 and over, mainly grandparents, is published elsewhere [ 17 , 21 ]. …”

Recruitment of Adolescent Young Carers to a Psychosocial Support Intervention Study in Six European Countries: Lessons Learned from the ME-WE Project

“…Below, we describe, review and critique the methods and recruitment-related aspects of the trial evaluating the newly designed psychosocial intervention for AYCs. An overview of the ME-WE project, activities carried out and results is available elsewhere [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 33 , 34 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Caregiving for Older Family Members by Young Caregivers in Singapore: Transition, Trials, and Tribulations

“…In 2019, 8 in 10 youths reported they would care for parents in old age irrespective of circumstances, reflecting the propensity for caregiving underpinned by the pertinence of family values among young individuals. Hence, although it is posited that nations with underdeveloped long-term care systems may have a larger incidence of young caregivers [53], the duty of primary caregiving still chiefly rests upon informal family caregivers in Singapore, despite its developed eldercare infrastructure and services. This is due to the "underlying social policy framework, cultural values, and social expectations of filial duties in Singapore" [54] (p. 4).…”