Family Caregiving for Elders

Martin Pinquart & Silvia Sörensen

Caregiving for a dependent older adult is a significant influence on human development because it affects an individual's physical, emotional, financial, and mental well-being. This entry summarizes the prevalence of caregiving, discusses caregivers' motives and the processes by which they become caregivers, and reviews the psychological outcomes of providing care to a frail older adult. In addition, there is a discussion of psychosocial interventions for caregivers. Family caregiving refers to the provision of assistance to a physically and/or cognitively impaired older adult by family members. It includes personal care, help with household tasks, health care assistance, monitoring, coordinating service use, and emotional support (in combination with other assistance). In Western countries, adult children and spouses provide most informal care to older adults. According to the 1997 National Family Caregiver Survey, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households was involved in caring for an individual 50 years and older at some Although ...

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