Elderly caregivers often feel the obligation to care for their loved ones. Although the majority of caregivers are women and men, they may feel more responsible for caring for an elderly family member. Male caregivers may be perceived as more burdensome in some cultures than their female counterparts.
Male caregivers felt more burdened than women caregivers.
Akpinar Kucukguclu and Yener conducted a cross-sectional and quantitative study to determine if male caregivers felt more burdened than older adult female caregivers. NPI and MMSE were used to measure caregiver burden. The Eyseneck personality quiz was also used. The authors also used a Marital Satisfaction questionnaire to assess caregivers' quality of life.
Although male caregivers of the elderly perceived themselves as more burdened than female caregiving partners, they also reported that they utilized formal support more frequently than female caretakers. Researchers should investigate whether gender plays a role in caregivers' perception of burden, especially among male caregivers, in a clinical setting.
A second study showed that older male caregivers were more likely than others to feel burdened by COVID-19. Men who believed in traditional masculinity were less likely than others to feel burdened. This study highlights the mental burden that comes with caring for elderly persons. This finding may be extended to other countries that have similar systems of care and manage pandemics.
Primary caregivers for the elderly are their sons
Both sons and their daughters-in law provide care for elderly adults. This makes it hard to separate them. It is possible for caregivers to change roles throughout the course of the study, which could have an impact on the final results. Before assessing the dynamics of the family network, studies on eldercare in families need to take into account the roles of caregivers before making any conclusions regarding the primary caregivers.