Abstract
Background: A growing number of Canadian children live in the care of their grandparents, called skip-generation families. Reasons for this include teen pregnancy, death of a parent, mental/physical illnesses, and addictions. These grandparents and grandchildren are at increased risk of physical and mental illness, yet have few resources available to them. Objective: Our study aims to describe the lived experiences of skip-generation families to better identify their needs. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews of grandparent primary caregivers from ten households in our community to chronicle their experiences raising their grandchildren. Participants were recruited by paediatricians using convenience sampling. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using Atlas Ti software, and classified into themes by consensus. Results: Five primary themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Changes in family dynamics, (2) Psychosocial impact on grandchild and grandparent, (3) Lack of resources for grandparent caregivers, (4) The challenges of parenting later in life, and (5) Resilience inspired by the love of family. Many participants (n=10) described feeling unsupported after assuming care of their grandchildren and identified a need for additional counselling services, financial support and respite care. All (n=11) highlighted that caring for their grandchildren changed their lives in positive ways. Conclusion: When grandparents are prioritized as primary caregivers for their grandchildren, our study suggests they receive insufficient community resources to meet their emotional, respite and financial needs. Further research involving this population in Canada is required. Paediatricians can play an essential role in recognizing these vulnerable families and advocating for additional supports and services.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | E166-E171 |
| Journal | Paediatrics and Child Health |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 1 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study used a phenomenological approach to data collection, conducting in-depth semistructured interviews with grandparent primary caregivers from ten skip-generation households living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This approach was selected to understand the essence of the lived experience of primary grandparent primary caregivers in this area (). Ethics approval was obtained from our institutional research ethics board (REB 1023978). The study was funded by an Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre Mentored Grant.
Funding Information:
Many families also highlighted the personal financial difficulties they were facing. Becoming a parent again was unplanned, which resulted in participants altering their retirement plans and continuing to work at an advanced age. There were also challenges balancing work and caring for a young child with minimal financial support from the child’s parent or government bodies. One grandparent who was interviewed discussed their health challenges and economic concerns, saying:
Funding Information:
Funding: Funding for this study was provided by the IWK Health Centre Research Services ‘Mentored Grant’.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
