Women and Family Caregiving: Perspectives, Challenges, and Needs

About This Analysis: This analysis examined data culled from women from the national sample (n=571) and separated them into the following racial and ethnic groups: white, non-Hispanic (n=437); black, non-Hispanic (n=82); Hispanic (n=43); and other (n=9). The analysis sought to examine the family caregiving experiences of women from different racial and ethnic groups.
Summary Findings: Nearly 75 percent of all female caregivers received no assistance from the health care system. White women appear to have provided care to a more acutely ill population and reported more stress in caregiving, while black women provided care of a greater intensity and experienced more unmet needs with care provision. Racial and ethnic minority women had poorer health than white women and were more likely to be in a household with multiple adults and children.

Conclusions: Policies and health care practices must be developed to address the diverse needs of caregivers across racial and ethnic groups to ensure that the specific burdens that women in these groups face are addressed.

Presentations: Navaie-Waliser, M., Peng, T., Spriggs, A., and Feldman, P.H. Women and Family Caregiving: Perspectives, Challenges, and Needs. Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 2001.