Work as overload or enhancement for family caregivers of older adults: Assessment of experienced well-being over the day

Objective This study examines work and care patterns and their association with experienced well-being over the course of the day and tests a moderating effect of gender.Background Many family and unpaid caregivers to older adults face dual responsibilities of work and caregiving. Yet little is known about how working caregivers sequence responsibilities through the day and their implications for well-being.Method Sequence and cluster analysis is applied to nationally representative time diary data from working caregivers to older adults in the United States collected by the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) (N = 1005). OLS regression is used to test the association with well-being and a moderating effect of gender.Results Among working caregivers, five clusters emerged, referred to as: Day Off, Care Between Late Shifts, Balancing Act, Care After Work, and Care After Overwork. Among working caregivers, experienced well-being was significantly lower among those in the Care Between Late Shifts and Care After Work clusters relative to those in the Day Off cluster. Gender did not moderate these findings.Conclusion The well-being of caregivers who split time between a limited number of hours of work and care is comparable to those who take a day off. However, among working caregivers balancing full-time work-whether day or night-with care presents a strain for both men and women.Implications Policies that target full-time workers who are balancing care for an older adult may help increase well-being.