Stepfamilies may Increase the Burden of the Primary Caregiver

A recent study shows how stepfamilies add to a caregivers burden by relying more on multiple family connections.

Researchers from the University of Michigan show how this issue affects a large number of Americans. In fact, background information from the study shows that more than 35 million Americans are remarried and nearly half a million adults over the age of 65 remarry every year. At the same time, Americans are living longer, with increasing levels of chronic disease that can be a particular burden on some families especially considering the economic crisis.

Lead study author Carey Wexler Sherman, a research investigator at the U-M Institute for Social Research, interviewed 61 women who remarried later in life and who were caregivers to their husbands for certain cognitive issues, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia. She then asked the participants who were 66-years-old on average about their social support networks and overall well being and amount of disagreement with step family members regarding care.

"I was surprised at how little adult stepchildren were involved in the care of their fathers," Sherman said, via a press release. "Even when the relationships between stepmothers and adult stepchildren were good, there were likely to be problems involving communication about who should be making medical and financial decisions. For caregivers who did not have close ties with adult stepchildren before the onset of health problems with the husband and father, it was even harder."

Background information from the study shows that adult stepchildren and other stepfamily members were much more likely than their own families and friends to offer unwanted advice or meddle in affairs that were not directly related to them.

Researchers also found that many of the remarried caregivers worked to avoid a sense of isolation and better way to cope with existing problems in the family.

"Some women turned to counselors, support groups, online websites, as well as their own family and friends, for support and help," Sherman said, via the release. "They did what they could to cope with a difficult situation."

However, many women said they felt alone in regards to their role as caregivers.

"They expected and needed assistance from their husband's children and were deeply distressed when it was not forthcoming," she said. "It's important to recognize that a lack of shared family history and norms likely affects the way stepfamily members cope with the demands of taking care of a loved one with dementia."

As a result, these caregivers may be more likely to suffer loneliness and depression.

More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Marriage and Family.