Changes in Living Arrangements of Functionally Dependent Older Adults and their Adult Children

Abstract

This study investigated health and sociodemographic variables associated with co-residency patterns among older patients and their adult children following discharge from an acute care hospital. Data for the analysis were obtained from 172 adult children caring for functionally impaired parents. Logistic regression was employed to determine the probability that an older parent establishes co-residency with the adult child following hospitalization instead of remaining in a separate household. Results indicate that the overall level of caregiver involvement in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were strong predictors of parent and adult children forcing a joint household. Increased household income of caregivers was inversely related to co-residency. Decisions about co-residency following hospitalization appear to hinge both on parental need and the resources of the adult child, suggesting that the decision to move together is largely one of need and not preference.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Blau, P. M. , & Duncan, O. T. (1967). The American occupational structure. New York: John Wiley.

Boaz, R. F. , & Muller, C. F. (1992). Why do some caregivers of disabled and frail elderly quit? Health Care Financing Review, 13(2), 41-47.

Brody, E. M. , Kleban, M. H. , Hoffman, C. , & Schoonover, C. B. (1989). Adult daughters and parent care: A comparison of one-, two- and three-generation households. Home Health Care Services Quarterly, 9(4), 19-45.

Brody, E. M. , Litvin, S. J. , Hoffman, C. , & Kleban, M. (1995). Marital status of caregiving daughters and co-residence with dependent parents. The Gerontologist, 35(1), 75-85.

Burr, J. A. , & Mutchler, J. E. (1992). The living arrangements of unmarried elderly Hispanic females. Demography, 29(1), 93-112.

Chappell, N. L. (1991). In-group differences among elders living with friends and family other than spouses. Journal of Aging Studies, 5(1), 61-76.

Clarke, C. J. , & Neidert, L. J. (1992). Living arrangements of the elderly: An examination of differences according to ancestry and generation. The Gerontologist, 32(6), 796-804.

Coward, R. T. , & Dwyer, J. W. (1990). The association of gender, sibling network composition, and patterns of parent care by adult children. Research on Aging, 12(2), 158-181.

Crimmins, E. , & Ingegneri, D. (1990). Interaction and living and arrangements of older parents and their children. Research on Aging, 12(1), 3-35.

10.

Enright, E. B. (1991). Time spent caregiving and help received by spouses and adult children of brain-impaired adults. The Gerontologist, 31(3), 375-383.

11.

Given, C. W. , & Given, B. A. (1994). Caregiving responses to managing elderly patients at home: Final report (National Institute on Aging, Grant #R01 AG06584), East Lansing: Michigan State University.

12.

Hamon, R. R. , & Blieszner, R. (1990). Filial responsibility expectations among adult children-older parent pairs. Journal of Gerontology, 45(3), 110-112.

13.

Hosmer D. W. , & Lemeshow, S. (1989). Applied logistic regression. New York: John Wiley.

14.

Kotlikoff, L. , & Morris, J. (1990). Why don't elderly live with their children? A new look. In D. Wise (Ed.), Issues in the economics of aging (pp. 149-169). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

15.

Maddala, G. S. (1992). Introduction to econometrics (2nd ed.) New York: Macmillan.

16.

Noelker, L. S. , & Bass, D. M. (1989). Home care for elderly persons: Linkages between formal and informal caregivers. Journal of Gerontology, 44(2), 63-70.

17.

Soldo, B. J. , Sharma, M. , & Campbell, R. T. (1984). Determinants of community living arrangements of older unmarried women. Journal of Gerontology, 39(4), 492-498.

18.

Soldo, B. J. , Wolf, D. A. , & Agree, E. M. (1990). Family, households, and care arrangements of frail older women: A structural analysis. Journal of Gerontology, 45(6), 239-249.

19.

Speare, A., Jr. , Avery, R. , & Lawton, L. (1991). Disability, residential mobility, and changes in living arrangements. Journal of Gerontology, 46(3), 133-142.

20.

Stoller, E. , Forster, L. E. , & Duniho, T. S. (1992). Systems of parent care within sibling networks. Research on Aging, 14(4), 28-49.

21.

Stone, R. , Cafferata, G. , & Sangl, J. (1987). Caregivers of the frail elderly: A national profile. The Gerontologist, 27, 616-626.

22.

Tennstadt, S. , McKinlay, J. , & Sullivan, L. (1989). Informal care for frail elders: The role of secondary caregivers. The Gerontologist, 29(6), 677-683.

23.

Ward, R. , Logan, J. , & Spitze, G. (1992). The influence of parent and child needs on coresidence in middle and later life. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 209-221.

24.

Worobey, J. , & Angel, R. (1990). Functional capacity and living arrangements of unmarried elderly persons. Journal of Gerontology, 45(3), 95-101.