Intimate partner caregiving: 65 years and older

Abstract

It is not likely that many people dream about entering their golden years with frailties and illnesses. But for many of those that are sixty-five years and older that is how they live their lives. Receiving care is essential at this stage of their adult life and for many older adults, formal care is not an option. One out of every five older adults needing care will get it from their primary caregiver, their spouse. This study utilized the RAND HRS Family Data, a national longitudinal study of retirement and health among the elderly in the United States to explore social and demographic factors and the effects that they have on spousal and intimate partner caregiving. Of the 2,126 in the sample, all spouse/partners need help but only thirty-five percent get help with at least one activity of daily living. Of the 2,126 respondents, 1.2% were same-sex couples and 8.5% were cohabitating. The results of the Logistic Regression indicated five of the fifteen factors - the raceethnicity of the respondents, the age, self-report of health, and education of the respondent's spouse/partner, and the number of children helping - had significant effect on the active receipt of help by the spouse/partner