The effects of familism on intended care arrangements in the process of preparing for future care among one-child parents in urban China

Abstract

Guided by Sörensen and Pinquart's model of preparation for future care, this study investigated the relationship between familism and intended care arrangements. Ordinal logistic regression was performed on a sample of  urban Chinese onechild parents aged - with an equal gender ratio to examine the associations between five care expectations, familism (filial obligation and child gender) and future care planning constructs (awareness, information gathering and avoidance). Awareness and information gathering were positively associated with service-focused care arrangements. Avoidant planners were more inclined to rely on adult children. Participants with a stronger filial obligation had greater expectations for ageing at home with the aid of a spouse, siblings or helper. Child gender was not significantly associated with intended care arrangements. The model of preparation for future care was useful when predicting service-focused care arrangements. Familism was a powerful predictor of family-focused care arrangements. Females were more likely to rely on children regardless of child gender but less likely to rely on spouses and siblings. The study enriches researchers' understanding of urban Chinese older adults' intended care arrangements in the context of fading familism and single-child families.KEY WORDS -familism, intended care arrangement, preparation for future care.

Patterns and Predictors of Preparation for Future Care Among Older Rural Chinese Adults: A Latent Profile Analysis

“…Above all, these address the benefits of strategic avoidance as a self-protective behavior. Previous studies tended to blame “avoidance” as the reason fewer older persons engaged in concrete care planning (Song et al, 2016); however, this seems slightly one-sided as in this study while social services knowledge was not affected by “avoidance.” Our findings support the effect of “action.” Gathering information helped older adults to obtain more resources, thus becoming capable of making decisions and concrete plans in terms of care arrangements to meet their needs. Pinquart and Sörensen (2002b) found that older adults who made concrete plans reported higher preparation satisfaction and lower depression (Pinquart & Sörensen, 2002b), which is consistent with the current findings.…”

“…In previous studies, PFC was evaluated in only two special samples in China: older parents who lost their only adult child (Chen et al, 2019) and urban Chinese baby boomers (Song et al, 2018), and few evaluated the overall situation of PFC among older rural Chinese adults. However, studies that focused on the relationship between familism and intended care arrangements provided a potential explanation for the poor PFC status in the current population (Fu & Chui, 2019; Song et al, 2016). The Chinese are strong proponents of familism.…”

“…Before they develop disability and experience an increase in their care needs, a full preparation for future care (PFC), such as choosing care services or responsible care providers, could help the older adults to proactively cope with possible care difficulties. PFC for older adults is especially significant in Chinese families due to insufficient care from adult children caused by the one-child policy, and limited affordable and accessible public care support and services in China (Song et al, 2016). Anticipating future care needs and promoting PFC in older adults have been gradual and ongoing tasks (Lynn, 2005).…”

Life Restoration and Future Care Preparation Among Older Parents in Shanghai Who Have Lost Their Only Adult Child

“…Admittedly, older adults can still form their expectations for future care without planning behaviors (Song, Yan, & Sörensen, 2016;Sörensen & Pinquart, 2000). However, participants may not have been well-informed or have thought thoroughly about their future care arrangements, for example, their insistence on aging in place.…”

Familism Scale: Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Sample of Caregivers of Older Adults

“…In cultures worldwide, informal caregiving is an increasingly recognized matter of social concern, and considerable attention has been devoted to understanding the psychosocial determinants of caregiving behaviors between family members. Family-centered constructs such as familism and filial obligation have received attention in the gerontological literature (Casado, Lee, Hong, & Hong, 2015;McCleary & Blain, 2013;Song, Yan, & Sörensen, 2017); however, the authors are unaware of quantitative studies on familism and dementia caregiving in Brazil.…”