A National Profile of Caregivers for the Oldest-Old

Limited research has examined caregivers for the oldest old (85+), a distinct group among older adults who are most likely to experience functional and cognitive limitations that require care. To profile socio-demographic characteristics of the oldest-old and their informal caregivers and assess their caregiving situations, we used data from 3163 care recipients with at least one functional limitation from the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey and 1363 caregivers who were either adult children or spouses of care recipients. The oldest-old with functional disabilities were less likely to be married and more likely to be women living alone. Compared with those under 85, the oldest- old group were likely to have more extensive IADL and ADL limitations. However, with the exception of dementia, the oldest-old had a lower prevalence of chronic illness than younger elders. The oldest-old care recipients also tended to use more formal care service. While caregivers for the oldest old were less likely to be a sole caregiver and more likely to use formal care service, their physical and emotional stress from caregiving remained the same with their counterpart group of caregivers. Comparison of caregivers by their relationships to care recipients also indicated that adult children who cared for the oldest-old parents tended to express the most stress from caregiving. We contend that formal services need to be better incorporated with informal caregiving to attenuate negative caregiver outcomes, especially for the oldest-old whose informal caregiving network is rather limited.