Caregiving by Older Adults in the United States: Gender Differences in Well-being

To date empirical research on the effect of caregiving by older adults on their own well-being has yielded mixed results with some studies showing negative effects, while others show no effect. After reviewing both the theory and previous empirical work, this chapter uses activity-level data from the 2009 Disability and Use of Time Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine how the unpaid caregiving responsibilities of older adults affect their well-being, paying particular attention to gender differences. The results show that controlling for pre-existing levels of reported life satisfaction, caregiving activities are associated with reduced levels of tiredness and pain compared to other activities by husbands. Wives did not experience any difference in tiredness or pain while engaging in caregiving compared to other activities.