Caring Together for Elderly Mothers: A Qualitative Study of Relations Between Adult Daughters and Supportive Home Care Workers

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines relationships between adult daughters caring for elderly disabled mothers and the mothers' personal care workers (PCWs) paid directly by the Wisconsin Community Options Program (COP). A subset of a larger study, in these five cases PCWs provide substantial hands on care without substituting for the heavy care also provided by the daughters. Direct payment offers the daughters and workers freedom to schedule around their family obligations and other limits and tailor care to the abilities of all three participants. It also allows the daughter to be the paid provider when she chooses. Expansion of such supportive services could benefit many more low and middle income families.

KEYWORDS:

• Eldercare
• home and community care
• family caregiving
• dementia
• homecare workers
• personal assistance
• government assistance programs
• Wisconsin
• Community Options Program