Burden and Bad Days Among Mexican-Origin Women Caregivers

Abstract

Objectives: This article examines the construct of burden and the use of coping strategies among Mexican-origin caregivers of older adults.

Methods: In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 44 Mexican-origin women caregivers living in the East Los Angeles area. Audio files were transcribed and analyzed in Atlas.ti V7.1.8. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach.

Results: Caregivers did not typically talk about caregiving as a burden per se; they used other terms for burden that resonated with their experiences. Caregivers viewed caregiving difficulty in physical and emotional terms as it related to specific caregiving circumstances and situations. Caregivers used a variety of coping strategies to get through bad days, including reframing stressful situations to make sense of their circumstances.

Discussion: Findings shed light on the mixed results found in the literature on Latino caregiving burden. Results suggest that Mexican-origin women caregivers have a more nuanced experience of caregiving burden than has been found in prior literature. Results also suggest research using traditional measures of burden may not fully capture situational and cultural distinctions to the extent Mexican-origin caregivers ascribe other language to represent difficult caregiving experiences.

Keywords: Caregiving; In-depth interviews; Measurement; Minority aging; Qualitative.