Using prospective data from 370 middle-aged husbands and wives during a 12-year period, we investigated the intra-individual and dyadic influence of family economic hardship on the levels of depressive symptoms of husbands and wives over their middle years. The results suggest that family economic hardship during the early middle years contributes…

In this dyadic study, we examined diabetes distress experienced by male and female patients and their spouses (N = 185 couples), and its association with depressive symptoms using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Diabetes-related distress reported by both patients and spouses was associated with each partner's own depressive symptoms…

When faced with changes in physical health, cognition, and daily functioning, older adults most frequently rely on family members for instrumental support and more intense care activities. Using a life span perspective as our guiding framework, we identified several developmental themes across the late-life caregiving research including individual…

Using daily diary data from 28 later life couples where one spouse had diabetes and osteoarthritis, we examined crossover effects of target spouses' daily activity limitations and their partners' daily mood. On days when target spouses' daily activity limitations were higher than average, partners' positive mood decreased and negative mood…

This study was a secondary data analysis of a midlife adults' (40 - 69 years) survey. The sample (N = 3,501) was recruited via telephone and completed an American Association for Retired Persons survey via the Internet. This study explored how sexual attitudes and demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, prior marital status) were…

We applied the theory of ambiguous loss to couples with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an age-related decline in memory and other cognitive processes assumed not to interfere with daily activities or the maintenance of personal relationships. Face-to-face interviews with 67 older married couples revealed that lack of understanding about the…

This qualitative study explores the international migration patterns and the family lives of older adults. Informants (N = 54) reported that they came to the United States to help out their grown children with housekeeping, child care, and domestic economizing. They described how they strategically navigated U.S. immigration laws choosing to…

This qualitative study explores older parents' ambivalent perceptions of their relationships with their adult children. Interviews with 17 mothers and fathers (aged 67+) provided reports on 75 relationships (43 sons, 32 daughters). Two predominant sources of ambivalence emerged when parents discussed their current relationships. The first…

Provides overview of impact of caregiving on families, discusses health policies that have led to limitations in formal support services, and identifies resources available to assist professional and caregiving families. (Author)

Performed follow-up study measuring effects of case management training on management activities of families of elderly persons. Interviewed 78 subjects from original study and found case management to be normative activity for families of elderly. Noted differences reported between male and female case managers and in types of obstacles…

Used quantitative and qualitative data from 23 independent older adults to explore these salient aspects of their parenting role: change over time; current need for the role; current expectations of adult children; and rights and responsibilities of older parents. (Author/ABB)

Examined nature and extent of incongruent view of caregiving held by older persons and their caregivers and characteristics of caregivers and care receivers associated with the development of such views. Findings from 50 caregiving dyads support earlier studies reporting that discrepant views of caregiving relationship are common. (Author/NB)

This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands'…

Examined influence of interpersonal conflict, affection, and distress concerning dependency and caregiving satisfactions in predicting caregiver strain and negative emotion in 98 family caregivers. Found that interpersonal conflict between elderly carereceiver and caregiver predicted greatest amount of variance in both caregiver strain and…

Applied Ruddick's (1989) theory of attentive love to interview data from 29 adult daughters caring for aging mothers. Found support for the theory that adult daughters preserve their aging mothers' lives, foster their growth, and try to help their mothers remain acceptable to society. Findings have implications for family and gerontological…