Is Caregiving Bad for Health? Trajectories of Health and Well-Being among UK Caregivers for Parents or Parents-in-Law Taking Account of Initial Health Status

Pilar Zueras , Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) - University of Essex
Emily Grundy , University of Essex

In many European countries demands for family-provided care for older people are increasing due to the growth in the number of older people with assistance needs and the curtailment of state provided resources. Assessing the impact of providing care for older parents on caregivers’ health is therefore of increasing importance. This has been examined in many studies but results are inconsistent, possibly reflecting a lack of attention to health-related selection into the caregiver role. We use data from a large nationally representative UK longitudinal study to firstly compare the health status of people aged 40-69 ‘eligible’ to provide parent care (with a living parent/parent-in-law) with the ineligible, and secondly to analyse trajectories of physical and mental health among caregivers providing intensive care (co-resident or 20+ hours per week), other caregivers and non-caregivers over a seven-year follow-up. Initial health status was measured using a latent variable derived from three self-reported and two observer recorded indicators. Health outcomes were measured using the SF-12 MCS and PCS indicators of mental and physical health. Results showed that those eligible to provide parental care were healthier than those ineligible. However, those assuming intensive caregiver roles had initially poorer health than non-caregivers or those providing less intensive care. Health trajectories of female intensive caregivers showed deterioration in health, particularly mental health, compared with non-caregivers and providers of less intensive care, controlling for various socio-demographic confounders. Results reaffirm the need for greater supports for those providing substantial amounts of care to older parents, especially female caregivers.

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 Presented in Session 76. Families, health, and healthcare