Perceptions of Help Given to Healthy Older Mothers by Adult Daughters: Ways of Initiating Help and Types of Help Given

• Published in: International journal of aging & human development 2003-01, Vol.57 (3), p.237-257
• Main Authors: Martini, Tanya S., Grusec, Joan E., Bernardini, Silvia Cortese
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living - psychology; Adult; Adult children; Adult Children - ethnology; Adult Children - psychology; Adult daughters; Adult. Elderly; Adults; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Couple and family; Daughters; Developmental psychology; Elderly mothers; Emotional support; Europe - ethnology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guyana - ethnology; Helping Behavior; Helping Relationship; Humans; India - ethnology; Intergenerational Relations - ethnology; Interviews as Topic; Middle Aged; Mother Attitudes; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Older people; Parent Child Relationship; Parent-child relations; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Sensitivity; Social psychology; Social Support; Support; Understanding; United States - ethnology
• ISSN: 0091-4150; 1541-3535
• DOI: 10.2190/WXQ7-XPP8-F0H7-Q2KR

Older mother-adult daughter dyads (N = 43) addressed two issues pertaining to the ways in which help is initiated (offered, requested, and imposed help) and type of help given (instrumental help, advice, and emotional support) a) mothers' reasoning about these aspects of help, and b) daughters' understanding of mothers' feelings. Both groups noted that mothers were most comfortable with offered help; however, mothers indicated equal comfort with requested or imposed help, while daughters felt mothers were more comfortable with requested help than imposed help. Mothers and daughters both felt that mothers were less comfortable receiving additional instrumental help or advice than emotional support. Reasons given for mothers' feelings indicated that mothers saw both positive and negative elements in the help given by their adult daughters. Overall, daughters demonstrated a good understanding of mothers' feelings about the helping relationship.