Expected Parent-Care Involvement of Adult Children

Abstract

Normative, individual, and contextual characteristics were examined as predictors of adult children's (N = 206) expectations of being primarily responsible for the care of an ill parent if called upon in the future. Although most did affirm that adult children should provide care for aging parents, this general social norm did not predict their expectations of primary involvement in the care of their own aging parents. Among these adult children not currently experiencing parental need, a large network of sisters decreased the likelihood of expected primary involvement in parent care. In addition, greater self-reported health as well as a specific family norm of parent care increased the likelihood that a given adult child expected to acquire primary responsibility for parent care in the future. Findings demonstrate that adult children possess distinct expectations for their level of involvement in parent care prior to parental need for aid.