Long-Term Care Utilization of Older Adults: Does Caregivers' Employment Matter?

This study investigated the associations between caregivers’ employment status and the use of a combination of informal and formal care among old Americans aged 65 and older, considering predisposing, enabling and need factors of older adults as well as of the caregivers. This study also examined whether such association differed by older adults’ gender and race/ethnicity.

Data source included the 2010 and 2014 Health and Retirement Study. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to estimate probabilities of the combination of long-term care.

Results indicated that although caregivers’ employment status was not significantly associated with older adults’ use of a combination of informal and community-based services, full-time employment status had significantly higher likelihoods of using a combination of informal and institutional care. Such association differed by older adults’ gender and race/ethnicity. In addition, older adults’ age, education, income and assets, chronic illnesses and functional limitations in relation to activities of daily living, and caregivers’ sole caregiving status were significantly associated with the use of informal care in combination with either community-based services or institutional care. Having fewer co-resident children or having cognitive impairments significantly increased the likelihoods of using a combination of informal and institutional care. Implications for social work, policy and research were discussed based upon these findings.