How Caregiving for Grandchildren Affects Grandmothers’ Meaningful Occupations

Abstract

Abstract Occupational science research has identified important linkages between occupation and health and well‐being, especially in older women. This study used comparative case analysis to further illuminate the effect that providing care to grandchildren has on grandmothers’ occupational lives and how it affects their well‐being. Seven grandmothers provided different levels of care to their grandchildren, which directly related to the types of occupations they engaged in together and to the grandmothers’ occupational balance and satisfaction. Our major finding was that a threat to grandmothers’ well‐being was caused by the extent of disruption in meaningful occupations resulting from childcare responsibilities and occupations while limited caregiving provided meaningful occupations. These findings indicate a concern for those grandmothers who must assume major new child rearing responsibilities, whereas those participants with enhancing or supplemental grandparent occupations find these to be very positive, with minimal disruption of their other meaningful occupations and social supports.