Recorded presentation

Carolyn A. Mendez, PhD, MPH, HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, Veterans Administration, UCLA Center For Health Policy Research, 16111 Plummer Street (152), Sepulveda, CA 91343, 310-794-0544, camendez@ucla.edu

Informal caregiving, predominantly performed by women, is an integral component of older Mexicans’ social resources network. This study examines how women in a Mexico City suburb conceptualize caregiving to older relatives, with an emphasis on the roles that cultural factors play in caregiving experiences. Data were collected through in-depth interviews of forty-one women using a semi-structured interview guide. Results suggest that women view the caregiver role as a guardian of the care recipient’s emotional well-being. Further, they define caregiving as a broad range of activities that safeguards care recipients from poor health or further decline in health. Results also suggest that caregiving is viewed within a broader cultural context: caregiving is a woman’s job that is assigned at an early age. However, caregiving daughters view caregiving activities within the scope of being a “good daughter” whereas caregiving wives view the same activities as part of the marital contract. As such, nonspousal caregivers readily identify household or personal care activities as caregiving while spousal caregivers view them as routine or “normal.” This study broadens traditional definitions of caregiving that place emphasis on physical rather than emotional dimensions of care. Further, this study finds that the caregiving experience falls under the domain of the woman’s role in the Mexican family. Long-term care systems that broaden the scope of caregiving to include emotional activities may assist families in caring for their elders. Such assistance, particularly to women, may help ease the inevitable multiple role strains caused by Mexico’s changing social and demographic trends.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to
• identify two broad categories of caregiving; and
• describe cultural factors that contribute to women’s identification of caregiving activities.

Keywords: Caregivers, Elderly

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation