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Full-Length Research Report

Family Caregivers of Elderly Persons

A Differential Perspective on Stressors, Resources, and Well-Being

Published Online:January 22, 2011https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000025

Abstract

In light of the mixed findings concerning the determinants of family caregivers’ burden and using a stress-resource model, we present questionnaire data from 311 family caregivers (partners and children) and 311 home-care professionals of the same elderly carereceiver. The differentiation between gender and kinship demonstrates the complexity and at the same time the disparity of investment and perceived burden among family caregivers. Although caregiving children are confronted with less primary objective stressors and have better health resources than caregiving partners, they report more primary subjective stressors and seem generally more burdened, especially caring daughters. The comparison of caregivers’ self-reports and professionals’ appraisals provide important insights into a gender and cohort reporting bias.

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