Experiences of Families with the Double Responsibility of Caring for Their Older Parents and Adolescents—Through the Narratives of Double Carers—

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the experiences of families who double-cared for adolescents and older parents.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three mothers or fathers who had experience caring for older parents during the same period as adolescent child-rearing. The contents were transcribed verbatim and analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

Results: In total, nine categories were extracted. Both negative and positive aspects were generated. Negative aspects were extracted into four categories: “family members each had their own thoughts and worries,” “difficulty in maintaining the family’s daily life,” “children harbored their own feelings and had a rebellious spirit,” and “children’s school life and advancement were hindered.” Conversely, four categories were extracted from positive aspects: “acted to support each other and maintained care and daily life,” “felt a sense of security with support from medical staff and people around them,” “children expanded their own world,” and “family grew through the experience of caring.”

Conclusion: In nursing care for families who provide double care for adolescents and older parents, treating the whole family as the target of support is important. Furthermore, considering the potential problems for support from various angles according to the family’s situation, such as the child’s grade and career path, is also important.