Temporal aspects of Mexican American intergenerational caregiving

Abstract

Problem and background. Caregiving for elderly family members can be viewed as a part of and extension of supportive behaviors between individuals. Consequently, there are cultural undertones to caregiving and what is supportive in one culture may not be in another. Mexican American caregiving has not been well studied; however, Mexican Americans are reported to be more likely to use family as resource for solving problems than non-Hispanic whites. Purpose. Guided by caregiving framework developed by Bowers (1987), Wilson (1989) and Nolan et al. (1995, 1996, & 1997) this study employed grounded theory to formulate a conceptual model of intergenerational caregiving among Mexican American families focusing on characteristics of the temporal axis which defines caregiving in terms of (1) family structure or generational attitudes (historical time); (2) what and how shared understandings with elders and among family members influence who assumes the caregiver role and when (kin time); (3) how entry into the caregiving role affects the entire family (intergenerational development time); and (4) how entry into the caregiving role affects the caregivers' peer relationships (peer time). This study also builds theory about how acculturation influences family care giving. Design, methods. This exploratory study was guided by grounded theory methodology where interviews were taped and analyzed using grounded theory's constant comparative method of analysis. Sample. The sample consisted of Mexican American caregivers (n = 10) of various generations over the age of 21 who provided at lest one intermittent service (without pay at least once a month) to an elder, related through consanguinal or acquired kinship ties. Results. Grounded theory of Role Acceptance comprised of four phases: (1) Introduction: Early Caregiving Experiences; (2) Role Reconciliation; (3) Role Imprint; and (4) Providing/Projecting Care. Significance. This study provides a Mexican American intergenerational caregiving model that can be utilized to study varied generations of Mexican American caregivers. It also provides a framework for comparison with other groups of caregivers. Results of this study also inform health professionals about ways in which Mexican American caregivers view caregiving. This information has potential to increase cultural competence in delivery of health care to elders and their families.