Grandchildren as Support and Care Providers to Disabled Older Adults in China

Abstract

Increased life expectancy in China implies that adults increasingly survive long enough to see their grandchildren reach adulthood and take on elevated importance—even as smaller family size reduces the number of children and grandchildren available. This article examined the prevalence with which older adults received support and care from grandchildren and the family conditions under which the likelihood of this assistance is enhanced. The data for our analysis derived from the 2014 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, limited to 13.4% of respondents (n = 1,551) who reported requiring personal assistance to perform daily activities. Logistic regression revealed that grandparents were more likely to receive assistance from grandchildren when they had no son available or had daughters who did not provide assistance. Results were consistent across urban and rural regions. These findings support the compensatory or substitution role of grandchildren as sources of support and care for their grandparents within a gendered family system. Implications for policies and services serving older people in China are discussed.

A Cross-Case Analysis on Filial Care Assumption among Filipino Adults

“…2 Despite that, Filipino children are less likely to seek assistance from professional caregivers since accepting services from the community are considered a stigma, hence caring for older family members are considered a personal responsibility among Filipinos. 3,4 While filial piety pertains to the special obligations of children towards their aging parents 5 and may extend to include the duties of adopted children 6 and grandchildren to their grandparents 7,8 , filial care is the practical embodiment of the responsibilities that comprise filial piety. Since the earliest of time, there appears to be a consistency on the emotional, physical and financial support provided to family members, although changes have been noted on the number of individuals who assume these roles, and the extent, magnitude and intricacy of the care provided.…”