Adopting the caregiver role: A family legacy

A qualitative study was done to investigate how adult children become careg ivers to older parents with functional impairments and what roles their own children adopt in their family's care arrangements. In-depth interviews wi th 43 members of 15 families revealed 5 influences on children and grandchi ldren's adoption of caregiver roles: expectations, family rules, religious training, role modeling and role making. Further analysis of families with grandchild participants showed considerable variation both between and with in families in how and what kinds of eldercare roles were adopted. These re sults can be used by family life educators interested in creating parent-ca re education programs.