The goal of the proposed research is to study sibling relationships in situations in which a widowed elderly mother needs help and has two or more adult children. The caregiving situation would be studied from the perspectives of all accessible adult children and their spouses. In particular, the problems and positive factors among the siblings in relation to the provision of help to the parent, the emotional/mental strains they experience, and the apportionment of parent-care responsibilities among them will be examined. The issue of sibling relationships (and the mental/emotional strains they cause) emerged (but is not being studied) in the course of another study--Women, Work, and Care of the Aged: Mental Health Effects -- to whlch this proposal is a request for a continuation.
The research aims would be (1) to obtain and compare the perspectives of all the children on the parent's level of impairment, the opportionment of helping responsibilities, the problems and """"""""uplifts"""""""" present in the interactions among the siblings, and the strains experienced by each; (2) to obtain and compare the siblings' perspectives with those of their spouses with respect to the problems and """"""""uplifts"""""""" generated by sibling interactions and the strains that the sibling in each marital pair experiences; (3) to compare the opportionment of parent-care tasks when the parent lives alone and when the parent lives with a child; and (4) to investigate the predictors of becoming the principal caregiver. The sample would consist of 100 families with a total of about 340 siblings and 312 spouses (N=648). About 70% of them would be interviewed in person; the 30% who live at a geographic distance would receive mailed questionnaires and follow-up phone calls. In addition to contributing to family theory, the findings would have implications for the practice approaches of mental health professionals working with the aged and their families and for social policy in the planning of supportive services.
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| Brody, E M; Kleban, M H; Johnsen, P T et al. (1987) Work status and parent care: a comparison of four groups of women. Gerontologist 27:201-8 |
| Brody, E M (1986) Institutional versus community health care for the elderly: the delicate balance of social policy. Home Health Care Serv Q 7:113-58 |
| Brody, E M (1986) Filial care of the elderly and changing roles of women (and men). J Geriatr Psychiatry 19:175-201 |
| Brody, E M; Schoonover, C B (1986) Patterns of parent-care when adult daughters work and when they do not. Gerontologist 26:372-81 |
