title: Who will care for the grandparents? Exploring relationships between grandparents and grandchildren.
abstract: Adult children are often identified as primary caregivers for their older adult parents; however, in a growing number of cases, the adult child does not become the caregiver. Evidence of this includes the growing social phenomenon of grandparents raising their grandchildren. In this qualitative research project, the long-term caregiving relationship between grandparents and grandchildren living in grandparent-headed households was explored through interviews with three grandparent-grandchild dyads. The ongoing relationship in the dyads did not seem to mimic a parent-child relationship or a grandparent-grandchild relationship, but instead a third kind of relationship that requires further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Social Work Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. ctompkin@gmu.edu
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tompkins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014768:Virginia