A Case for the Importance of

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A Case for the Importance of

• Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships in young
  adulthood

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With entry into adulthood.

• relationships with significant others outside the
  family assume increased importance for most young
  adults
• Often increases in physical distance between
  young adults and their grandparents (I.e., leave
  home)
• grandchildren typically acquire the freedom to
  identify the boundaries and the borders of
  relationships with their grandparents

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Boon Brussoni (1996)

• 73 emotionally close
• More frequent contact and greater value placed on
  contact
• Wider array of shared activities and perceived
  benefits
• High(er) levels of perceived influence

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With entry into adulthood.

• Changes in/challenges to a grandparents health
  may form an increasingly important part of the
  backdrop of the grandparent-grandchild
  relationship as grandchildren age
• Physical and cognitive changes associated with
  aging
• Chronic illness/disability
• Depression/anxiety

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Research Question

• Do conditions that affect grandparents health
  also affect their young adult grandchildren??

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Boon Shaw (2007)

• 153 undergraduates
• with one or more grandparents living with
  physical, cognitive or psychological impairment
• 57 emotionally close

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Wide range of impairments

• Physical impairments
• Visual (71.3)
• High blood pressure/stroke (62.7)
• Arthritis/rheumatism (58.7)
• Auditory (55.3)
• Digestive problems (38.3)
• Cognitive impairments (due to)
• Medication (32.0)
• Stroke (15.5)
• Senile dementia (13.7)
• Alzheimers disease (7.5)
• Depression/Anxiety (37.6)

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Worries/apprehensions
Source/nature Mean (SD)
May die in near future 95.0 4.77 (1.52)
Unable to care for self 83.2 4.56 (1.63)
Is/Will be lonely 80.0 4.93 (1.76)
Is/will be depressed 76.3 4.45 (1.66)
Loss of contact 65.2 4.63 (1.76)
Lack desire to care for self 54.7 3.73 (1.54)
Financial exploitation 54.0 4.49 (1.68)
Getting lost 50.7 3.89 (1.69)
Going to a nursing home 50.7 3.51 (1.57)
Exploited emotionally 50.4 3.91 (1.84)
Will forget who I am 39.9 4.49 (1.87)
Physically exploited 33.1 4.02 (1.89)
Overall - 4.28 (1.17)
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Impact on Own Life
Area affected Mean (SD)
Thoughts about aging 85.4 4.04 (1.67)
Family cohesiveness 78.8 5.05 (1.43)
Thoughts about own health 76.8 4.46 (1.42)
Way you look at the world 71.0 4.69 (1.35)
Plans for the future 51.7 4.82 (1.21)
Time commitments 48.3 4.50 (1.13)
Grandparent support/companionship 48.3 3.98 (1.31)
Others support/companionship 31.8 4.06 (1.06)
Financial constraints 27.2 3.91 (0.92)
Overall - 4.39 (0.79)
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Visiting (N 132)
Reason FOR Reason NOT
Enjoyment 84.1 Time constraints 71.7
Time left together 72.0 Geographical distance 60.1
Social support (GP) 51.5 Emotional distance 18.1
Obligation 41.7 Deteriorated health 11.6
Family pressure 29.5 Loss of contact 6.5
Social support (self) 20.5 Financial constraints 3.6
Guilt 13.6 Not enjoy gps company 2.2
Holidays/vacations 8.3 Guilt 2.2
Financial rewards (self) 4.5 Gp doesnt know/remember you 1.4
Family gatherings 4.5 Family disowned 0.7
Family difficulties (divorce/remarriage) 3.0 Impairment too severe 0.0
Financial rewards (GP) 0.0
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Changing Demographics

• Older adults in western nations are living
  longer than ever before
• Substantially greater opportunities for
  grandchildren and grandparents to build and
  maintain relationships
• Increased opportunity for grandparent health to
  impact these relationships AND for these
  relationships to impact grandparent health

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Conclusions

• Many young adults experience relationships with
  their closest grandparents as influential and
  emotionally satisfying bonds

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The Good News

• At least until it reaches a certain threshold of
  severity, a grandparents diminished or declining
  health may have relatively little NEGATIVE impact
  on the grandparent-grandchild relationship

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Nevertheless

• practitioners and policy makers would be well
  advised to consider how impairments to elder
  family members health may affect relations with
  grandchildren

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Special Thanks to

• Mariana Brussoni
• Megan Shaw