THE IMPACT OF WORK STATUS ON ADULT DAUGHTERS EARLY AND FUTURE CAREGIVING

This study explores the impact of work status on the provision of adul t daughters' caregiving for elderly mothers. The research focuses on b oth present level of caregiving while mothers are still within the ''y oung'' range of elder years and the care daughters anticipate providin g in the future. In this research, 103 adult daughters with a mean age of 37 years were interviewed The participants were primarily White, m iddle-class women who worked part- or full-time outside the home. Util izing interview techniques, information was gathered concerning work s tatus, job-related variables, and present and anticipated caregiving. Women employed full-time reported higher levels of early caregiving th an those working part-time, while variables relating to adult daughter s' accessibility while at work or job flexibility were not significant ly related to anticipated caregiving behavior. The significance of the se results and the need for future exploration of this area are discus sed. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.