| Based on a phenomenological tradition, this study uses the qualitative approach to explore 15 adult children's caring experience of their aging parents in Beijing, China. It is assumed that caregivers' subjective interpretations of their experience will provide a meaningful understanding of elderly caregiving in a family setting in modern China.; Significant findings of this study include: (1) Adult children as caregivers require to meet the daily needs of their aging parents physically, biologically, and psychosocially. Besides, they have to deal with parents' abnormal behavioral problems due to old age. (2) Motivations of children to care for their parents are culturally and socially bound. Filial respect, keep close to parents, payback, parent's personal choice to assign caregivers, number of surviving aging parents, caregivers' birth order, to serve as an example for younger siblings, and concerns with other family members' needs are considered as important factors. (3) Caregivers have encountered some difficulties in providing care to their aging parents. The frequently cited difficulties include lack of manpower, material and monetary resources; role conflict; no extra resources in times of urgent needs; and having difficulty in helping aging parents to move inside and outside their homes. Caregiving seems to have negative impact upon the adult children. Normally, they tend to be anxious, sad, stressful, and exhaustive. Also, they worry about their jobs and promotion chance. Their children's daily schedule and activities will be affected, too. For example, they do not have the time to facilitate their children's extra curriculum activities. The younger generation have to change their study plan in order to fit into the caregiving plan of the aging parents. Sometimes caregiving the parents will damage the relationship among family members. (4) Caregivers will reach out to seek help in order to reduce the caregiving problems. Informal support tends to be more available than formal support. Strategically, the caregivers will satisfy the needs of their parents before they leave homes either for business or for fun. Sometimes they will ask their neighbors and friends to help with caregiving. Mentally, some caregivers convince themselves to accept the role as caregivers and regard it as their pre-determined fate. (5) Even though it is agreed that both family and the Government should work together to care for the elderly, many caregivers do not expect the Government will actually do so. A few respondents even complain that the Government offers too few services to help with the caregiving.; Based on the results of this study, the paper will put forward some suggestions to strengthen family caregiving in the areas of informal and formal sectors. |
