Crisis and the Filial Caregiving Situation of African American Adult Offspring

Abstract

Although there is emerging knowledge about caregiver strain and health, little is known about this linkage from the perspective of African Americans who care for a demented parent. A two-group comparison design was used to examine the caregiving situation and experience of crisis in a preliminary sample of 38 African American adult offspring. Findings showed that subjects spent an average of 4 hours a day on parent care in the previous 6 months, and reported significant caregiver strain. The 17 subjects with crisis experience reported greater caregiver strain in the form of exhaustion and emotional arousal when compared with those who reported no crisis experience (n = 21). They were more likely to associate feelings of uncertainty and a low sense of mastery with the crisis experience and to associate feelings of frustration and confinement with lower ratings of perceived health. In addition, these subjects associated their distress in the caregiving situation with their health, childhood experiences, family strains, and death. The findings are evidence that distressed African American adult offspring with high caregiver burden and low health ratings can be at risk for failing to thrive in their situation and may need critical supportive care.