5.2 million. That is the expected 2020 African American population of persons over 65 years. The projection by 2060 is 12.1 million.
This is an important statistic when you consider the African American women’s role in providing elder care services to family members.
In addition, African American women face unique challenges as caregivers. They need to balance caregiving to aging/ill parents with work, finances, childcare, social life, and personal well-being, along with personal and cultural expectations.
Then there are the expectations of familial eldercare placed upon African American women.
- Cultural and social pressures often suggest that these women should shoulder most of the care responsibilities for their aging parents, along with other responsibilities within the household.
- As a result, traditions, obligations, and expectations for elder care in African American families often leave undue burdens on women to play multiple roles.
Then, there is the unique sub-aspect of African American women caring for the elderly – the high number of single moms. The single working mother is only recently being focused on. But, the working caregiver – single or otherwise – has long been a part of the African American experience.
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The Important Role of the Elderly in African American Families
There is a higher prevalence of caregiving among African American families compared to other races. This stems from the historical development of the African American family.
African American families are more likely to incorporate the elderly in their family structure. The elderly are respected and therefore afforded an important role in the family. So, adults often look forward to the rewards of advanced years.
Compared to other minority groups, African Americans are the most likely unit to extend in-home care rather than relying on nursing homes or paid live-in care. In the intergenerational home – as quite a few African American homes are – the grandparents play a critical role in looking after children while the mothers work.
As a result, it is expected that the contribution of grandparents will be reciprocated later in their life – with their children caring from them. It’s not uncommon for grandparents to move into the homes of adult family members, especially their children. Therefore, the intergenerational ties of caregivers and the elderly in African American households have long been cemented.
Elder’s Expectations of a Strong Family Support System
It is a long-held expectation that African American families should care for their parents, grandparents, and children. This is especially the case among African Americans and is strongest within mother-daughter dyads. There is a strong sense of filial obligation to care for the elderly.
This means that elders have a stronger informal support system.
This expectation also influences the use of formal care services. African Amercian seniors are less receptive to the idea of and have developed negative attitudes towards assisted living and a dislike for nursing homes.
The nature of the African American home, especially where it’s a single-mother household, has often led to elders/parents providing child-care services for working parents – especially single mothers.
This, however, is becoming a part of the problem faced by working caregivers as more women delay having children until they are in their 30s and 40s. As such, parents are increasingly facing multiple caregiving roles having to care for both dependent children (sometimes grandchildren) and parents.
A Disproportionate Reality
The average life expectancy has increased from 68 years in 1950 to 78.6 years, although still lower overall for African Americans compared to many other groups. This has led to an increase in the aging population requiring care, but no such increase in the younger generation.
Plus, the number of working caregivers is increasing – and there are over 4 million black families in the United States with a single mother.
As such, the caregiver role disproportionately burdens women in the African American household. These women also face the financial burden of managing a multigenerational family. This is especially difficult where over 29% of black single-parent families live below the poverty line.
The single mother is often struggling with the competing demands of a job, her children, caring for elder parent(s), and other social responsibilities. It’s a delicate balancing act to be able to juggle eldercare, childcare, social life, work, and finances.
When Being Independent May Do More Harm Than Good
But, many Black women have grown up with the social expectation that they should be strong, resilient, and self-sacrificing. That they should be able to shoulder the burdens of their family with ease and that doing so is a natural part of their life.
Such approaches may be important in some situations, but they can also be damaging, as they can mean that the person takes on too much responsibility and does not take measures to ensure that they are supported.
Indeed, many people, especially single women, would benefit from looking for help more frequently, caring for their own needs, and being realistic about what they can and cannot take on.
Concerns and Stereotypes About Care Homes
There is also a negative stereotype about placing family members in care facilities, especially when that family member provided childcare previously.
Unfortunately, studies like this one highlight the disparities in care facilities amongst races. As part of a study on racial separation in long-term care, the authors reviewed 181 residential care/assisted living facilities and 39 nursing homes across 4 states.
Their study revealed that facilities that housed African Americans tended to be in rural, nonpoor African American communities. The same facilities also had lower ratings for cleanliness, maintenance, and lighting.
The researchers concluded that the racial disparities in elder care may be as a result of economic factors, exclusionary practices, or resident choice. Further, lower funding in predominantly African American facilities may also be a significant driver of the fewer services and amenities provided.
Issues like this are one more reason why many African American families focus on providing care at home, rather than looking at external options.
The Costs of Caring for the Elderly with Chronic Illness
But, care homes have their place.
After all, caregiving gets challenging quickly. In some situations, the senior may be safer and better looked after in an external setting than they ever could be at home.
Chronic illness is one reason for this.
Chronic Conditions
As the population continues to age, there is also an increase in chronic ailments amongst African Americans. This, in part, stems from the cost of and their lower access to quality healthcare services.
Most older persons have at least one chronic health condition and many have multiple.
Amongst those, the most prevalent in African Americans (in some instances higher than the national average) are hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In 2016, 40% of older African Americans had one or more disabilities.
Dementia
Elders suffering from Alzheimer’s are disproportionately higher in African American households than other races. Then caregivers have to factor the time and financial costs of caring for individuals with a higher percentage of chronic non-communicable diseases.
These and other issues like dementia and eccentric behaviors in the elderly often exceed the caregiver’s limits of support and places undue stress and burdens on the caregiver.
It’s easy to see how such problems can be overwhelming for any caregiver – and even more so for a caregiver who is also a working mom with competing priorities.
The Difficulties of Being a Working Caregiver
Back in 1994, Gottlieb, Kelloway, & Fraboni did a study that illustrated the difficulties of being a working caregiver. They identified several risk factors that negatively affected the caregiver’s ability to effectively manage both work and delivering caregiving services. These included living with the elder (in-home caregiving is prevalent in Black communities) or requiring additional leave support to handle matters related to caring for the elder.
For example, delivering in-home elder care by working single mothers meant more requests for leaves of absence to handle medical and family matters.
Thankfully, several states have identified the issues of working caregivers and have passed legislation designed to help.
For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been adopted by several states. The FMLA allows qualified working caregivers access to an unpaid leave of absence for family matters for up to 12 work weeks without the threat of losing their jobs.
But, this can and still does negatively affect the career advancement options of caregivers.
In addition to being passed over for promotions, caregivers must also weigh the requirements of higher job responsibilities with the growing requirements of elder care, especially if that elder has medical concerns.
Finding That Delicate Balance
As older adults continue to rely on family and friends for support as they age, the challenges become apparent. Caregivers are facing increasing physical and emotional support needs to provide eldercare. This includes the hours needed to provide substantive care as well as the financial demands of simply providing daily care.
It also continues that African American women face disproportionate obligations for the family, especially daughters with a filial obligation to care for their parents.
In one study, 84% of black mothers are the breadwinners in the family. This statistic represents a larger percentage compared to other ethnic or racial groups.
In addition to being the main breadwinner, black mothers are often shouldering caregiving responsibilities for children, grandchildren, and aging parents. This places them under severe financial burdens. Many are also not equipped to handle their own health challenges plus that of their elders under their care.
New approaches to elder care and solutions that benefit both the single mom and the elder must be embraced. Otherwise, the level of care and support required for a happy, healthy elder life is diminished and both parties suffer.
What You Can Do
There’s a clear need for new approaches and policy-based solutions to support caregivers. Such solutions may be developed over time, but what can you do right now?
- Seek Emotional Support. Finding other people to talk to can make your burdens feel lighter. An in-person support group is a good place to begin, but if you can’t manage this, you could look at forums. Forums provide a save space to connect with other caregivers and get advice. They can also help to remind you that you’re not alone. The AgingCare forum is a very good place to begin.
- Don’t Forget Yourself. While the process can be difficult, self-care truly is essential for caregivers. You can’t support someone else well if your own needs aren’t being met.
- Practice Self-Compassion. Self-compassion focuses on being emotionally kind to yourself, especially when life is overwhelming. It can be a powerful way to reduce caregiver guilt and may help you to be more resilient.
- Use The Right Tools. Tools can often make caregiving much easier. For example, adaptive living aids can provide seniors with more independence and improve their quality of life.
- Learn When Enough is Enough. Sometimes you may need to step away from caregiving entirely. Moving your family member into assisted living could be one alternative approach while enlisting paid support might be another. While such options may seem unappealing, they’re sometimes the best for you and your family in the long-term.
These approaches can all decrease the challenges that caregiving presents, making it easier to support your loved one without compromising your own health in the process.
The Multicultural Guide to Caregiving
Multicultural Guide to Caregiving is an essential resource for balancing cultural expectations around elder care, without losing your mind or money in the process.
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Thank you for writing this article. All this time, I thought that something was wrong with me because I struggle with being an effective caregiver for my elderly mother. It’s overwhelming, and depressing. I appreciate the research about caregiving as it specifically relates to single black women. I often feel very alone, and suffer in silence. Life is not at all what I had hoped it would be. I feel like my only option is to put one foot in front of the other.