Elderly care has job-related consequences: study

Updated Wed. Nov. 22 2006

CTV.ca News Staff

Middle-aged Canadians are finding themselves providing care to aging parents, relatives or friends just as they were finished raising their children, according to a new study, which finds this can have job-related consequences.

More than 1.7 million adults between the ages of 45 and 64 were providing informal care to nearly 2.3 million seniors with long-term disabilities or physical limitations in 2002, according to the study.

Statistics Canada reported that seven out of every 10 caregivers in this age range -- many of them women -- were also in the work force.

The study, published in the online edition of Perspectives on Labour and Income, examined the prevalence and impact of caregiving among middle-aged Canadians.

The government agency found that about one-third of male caregivers spent one hour or less per week, compared with less than one-quarter of the women. In contrast, women were more likely to spend four or more hours per week.

While most low-intensity caregivers felt few or no socio-economic consequences, high-intensity caregiving had a significant impact fore more than half of all female caregivers, regardless of their work hours

"Caregiving had some significant job-related consequences," the government agency reports.

"Individuals providing four hours or more of care per week were more likely to reduce their work hours, change their work patterns or turn down a job offer or promotion."

Among this group, 65 per cent of women and 47 per cent of men who were working more than 40 hours a week were also substantially affected.

Caregiving not only influenced their careers but their retirement decisions.

About 21 per cent of female caregivers reported that the need to provide care for a family member would be a likely reason for retirement, compared with 13 per cent of women who were not providing care.

Among those who had already retired, one in five cited caregiving as the reason, twice the rate of those who were not providing care for anyone.

Women were more than twice as likely to report this reason as men.

When asked what would be most beneficial in letting them continue to care for others, most caregivers replied that they would like occasional relief, especially those who tried to balance longer hours of work with a high-intensity of caregiving.

"The study shows how the intensity of juggling a career and the pressure of looking after the elderly can pull a person in two directions," Statistics Canada reported.

Generally speaking, longer work hours mixed with higher caregiving intensity levels were associated with increased proportions of stress.

For example, many felt guilty because they thought they should be doing more to help, or because they felt they should be doing a better job.

More than 40 per cent of women who provided over one hour of care weekly reported feeling guilty.

These feelings of guilt intensified as their hours of paid work increased.

Overall, working longer hours was linked to increased guilt feelings among both men and women, but on average, men felt guilty to a lesser degree.

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