Unexpected Caregiving in Later Life: Illuminating the Narratives of Resilience of Grandmothers and Relative Caregivers through Photovoice Methodology

ABSTRACT

This research study implements photovoice methodology with unexpected caregivers to illuminate the lived experiences of female grandparents and relative caregivers who are raising young children in the later stages of their life. As they enter older adulthood, grandmothers are increasingly finding themselves taking care of their children’s children for various reasons, including, but not limited to, their adult child’s incarceration, mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, or child abuse or neglect. Informed by various feminist theoretical lenses, we use photovoice methodology to highlight the narratives of resilience and explore the ways in which grandmothers re-conceptualize their roles and identity as an unexpected caregiver and the sources of strength and resilience that inform the ways in which they navigate the various circumstances in their lives.

KEYWORDS:

• Grandmothers
• grandparents-as-parents
• relative caregivers
• intergenerational caregivers
• resilience
• photovoice methodology

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the California Humanities; The Eisner Foundation.