Caring for Grandparents With Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

This study examined adolescent grandchildren’s contributions to caregiving for grandparents with Alzheimer’s disease. It was predicted that grandchildren would provide more care when parents experienced greater burden, and when adolescents had higher quality relationships with parents and grandparents. It was also hypothesized that these factors would predict higher levels of social commitment and more positive attitudes toward the provision of long-term care. Twenty-nine adolescents and their parents participated in the telephone interview study. Adolescents rated the amount of care they provided to grandparents, relationship quality with grandparents and parents, social responsibility, and attitudes toward the provision of long-term care. Parents reported levels of caregiver burden. Results indicated that grandchildren provided more help when parents provided more care and when grandchildren had greater affection for grandparents. Adolescent grandchildren exhibited lower levels of social responsibility and more negative attitudes toward the provision of long-term care when fathers experienced higher subjective burden.