Korean American caregivers: who are they?
OBJECTIVE
To describe the caregiving role in the Korean American family.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
Thirty Korean American female caregivers were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire related to sociodemographic background, caregiving history, filial responsibility, family network, cognitive status, dependency level, job-caregiving conflict, family conflict, economic strain, and negative life-style changes.


RESULTS
The Korean American caregivers were elderly wives who were sharing households only with their elderly husbands, and these women were low-income, unemployed, less educated, and regarded their caregiving activity as a final assignment of obligation and duty given to them as spouse.


CONCLUSIONS
The Korean traditional cultural norm of filial piety plays a significant role for caregiving activities among Korean American caregivers.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding cultural norms may enable health care providers to look below the surface even though caregivers may not express problems.
Kim
J H
JH
Diecke Center for Nursing Education, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL, USA.
Theis
S L
SL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012380:Role; D014481:United States