Family care for older adults with disabilities: toward more targeted and interpretable research
Abstract
Family care of the elderly is key to the long-term care system, and its importance has led to an abundance of research over the past two decades. Several methodological and substantive issues, if addressed, could create even more targeted and interpretable research. The present review critically examines methodological topics (i.e., definitions of family caregiving, measurement of caregiving inputs) and conceptual issues (i.e., family involvement in long-term residential settings, and the care receiver's perspective on care) that have received insufficient attention in the caregiving literature. Throughout this review recommendations are offered to improve these areas and advance the state of the art.
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As only children's parents begin to experience functional decline and enter a stage of heightened care needs, the nature of caregiving shifts from emotional companionship and financial support to more demanding physical care and long-term medical management.
“As only children’s parents begin to experience functional decline and enter a stage of heightened care needs, the nature of caregiving shifts from emotional companionship and financial support to more demanding physical care and long-term medical management (23, 27).”
From Caring alone: older adult care burdens, practices, and structural imbalances among China's one-child generation (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
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- Authors
- Gaugler, J. E., Kane, R. L., & Kane, R. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Kentucky (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gaugler, Joseph E.
- Venue
- The International Journal of Aging and Human Development
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-04
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 205-231
- ISSN
- 0091-4150 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-3535
- OpenAlex
- W2091126301
- Cited by
- 84
- References
- 88
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 11.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The International Journal of Aging and Human Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (AG00198-08)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
- Keywords
- family caregiving, older adults with disabilities, long-term care, long-term residential care
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Persons with Disabilities, Disabled Persons, Health Services Research, Home Nursing, Humans, Long-Term Care, United States, Frail Elderly, Caregivers
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