Combining Formal and Informal Caregiving Roles: The Psychosocial Implications of Double- and Triple-Duty Care

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2016-03, Vol.71 (2), p.201-211
• Main Authors: DePasquale, Nicole, Davis, Kelly D, Zarit, Steven H, Moen, Phyllis, Hammer, Leslie B, Almeida, David M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aging; Caregiver burden; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Child care; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delivery of Health Care; Elder care; Family Health; Family work relationship; Female; Geriatrics; Health care; Health Personnel - psychology; Home health care; Humans; Interpersonal relations; Labor force; Nursing homes; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational health and safety; Occupational stress; Original Research Report; Patient Care - psychology; Psychological distress; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial functioning; Psychosocial well being; Quality of care; Regression analysis; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Well being; Women; Work life balance
• ISSN: 1079-5014; 1758-5368
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbu139

Women who combine formal and informal caregiving roles represent a unique, understudied population. In the literature, healthcare employees who simultaneously provide unpaid elder care at home have been referred to as double-duty caregivers. The present study broadens this perspective by examining the psychosocial implications of double-duty child care (child care only), double-duty elder care (elder care only), and triple-duty care (both child care and elder care or "sandwiched" care). Drawing from the Work, Family, and Health Study, we focus on a large sample of women working in nursing homes in the United States (n = 1,399). We use multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance tests to examine a range of psychosocial implications associated with double- and triple-duty care. Compared with nonfamily caregivers, double-duty child caregivers indicated greater family-to-work conflict and poorer partner relationship quality. Double-duty elder caregivers reported more family-to-work conflict, perceived stress, and psychological distress, whereas triple-duty caregivers indicated poorer psychosocial functioning overall. Relative to their counterparts without family caregiving roles, women with combined caregiving roles reported poorer psychosocial well-being. Additional research on women with combined caregiving roles, especially triple-duty caregivers, should be a priority amidst an aging population, older workforce, and growing number of working caregivers.