A Dichotomous Relationship of Intergenerational Caregiving within Elderly Care: Disruption/Disharmony and Connection/ Harmony Across the Generations

Abstract

In Taiwan, caregiving for older person is an intergenerational responsibility. Modern Taiwanese society faces changing family structures and increased life expectancy of older people which prolongs caregiving responsibilities, however the family relationships of intergenerational caregiving experience are not fully known. This study explored how intergenerational caregiving reconstruct relationships between offspring caregivers and their frail older people to understand how health care services can better meet family needs. We conducted a genogram and eco-map to map individual support networks and relationships. We recruited 32 family members within 12 families across three generations to participate in an individual interview, including 11 frail older people, 3 spousal caregivers, 10 adult child caregivers and 8 grandchildren. The findings demonstrated that the intergenerational caregiving experience was a dichotomous relationship between disruption/disharmony and connection/harmony. For the caregiving experiences, individuals’ cultural values, beliefs, and family relationships should be considered in the context of shifting tradition, in Taiwan.