Care-giving practices of women caring for elderly parents in selected barangays of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro

• Main Author: Felisilda, Marylee B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Kinship care—Philippines—Oriental Mindoro; Aging parents—Care—Philippines—Oriental Mindoro; Family, Life Course, and Society; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6132; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/13162/viewcontent/CDTG004808_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This qualitative study aimed to describe the care-giving practices among daughters caring for elderly parents living in the rural areas of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. The consequences of such experiences on caregiving daughters were likewise investigated. Ten (10) women caring for the elderly parents were purposively chosen through a non-probability sampling particularly through personal contacts and referrals from local barangay officials and informants. In – depth interviews were conducted using interview guide. The data gathered were consolidated, arranged and categorized according to similar themes and patterns of care-giving experiences and other related concepts. Most of the care-giving daughters included in the study are middleaged, married, had formal education, no regular source of income, in coresidence with elderly parents and became the primary givers in more than five years. The findings show that the perception of the care-giving daughters’ of the needs of elderly parent dictates the strategies used in care-giving. The needs of the elderly parents are identified in the forms of physical, economic and emotional care. However, care-giving were mostly provided in the form of physical assistance on household tasks and personal care and socioemotional support by making parents feel loved and cared for. The financial difficulties identified as the pressing need of both the care-givers and the elderly parents are met by seeking help and assistance from siblings and children of care-giving daughters. Likewise, the study revealed that care-giving practices are not largely influenced by socio-demographic characteristics of care-giving daughters but by personal factors particularly how care-giving daughters give meanings and definition on their roles and responsibilities as daughter and children in the family. Care-giving was described as a responsibility of children to parents and a form of showing love and care for the elderly parents. Care-giving daughters do not recognize the problems and difficulties in care-giving. To them, caring for parents are blessings, natural thing to do and part of their responsibilities as women in the family and as children of their parents. The findings in this study makes it clear that there is a need to further look at the implications of care-giving on women’s health and understand their motivations in becoming care-givers.