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When Elder Care Is Viewed as Child Care

Significance of Elders' Cognitive Impairment and Caregiver Burden

Polisher Institute, Philadelphia Geriatric Center.

Family caregivers to frail parents often report that care of elderly parents is much like care of children. Predictors of such judgments regarding parent care were explored in a sample of adult caregiver-daughters (N = 426). Elders' cognitive impairment and perceived burden in caregiving were the strongest predictors of this likening of elder care to child care. The first factor is a response to elders' incompetencies that force caregivers to assume a directive, parental role. The second factor may reflect criticism of parents; for example, highly burdened caregivers view parent care as child care even in the absence of elders' cognitive impairment. The evidence suggests that family caregivers think of parent care as child care when parents fail to demonstrate competencies associated with adulthood. Thus, "role violation," and not "role-reversal," seems to underlie this judgment.