La Jolla Senior Care News

How Family Caregivers Can Deal With Resentment Regarding Gender Roles

Home Care Services Pacific Beach CA

Home Care Services Pacific Beach CAIt comes as no surprise to many that most family caregivers – approximately 67% – are female. Statistics show that the average caregiver is a working woman who is 49 years old. More and more men are taking on the caregiver role, but their statistics are still far behind women. Even in families, it’s common to see the females doing most of the work with the men in the background. They may perform minimal tasks or may not help out at all.

This can cause resentment for the women who, because of cultural norms, are expected to take care of basically everything. In an ideal world, everyone would help out with assigned tasks. When this doesn’t happen, the result is a family dispute that can ruin relationships between siblings and even their parents. The good news is that there are ways to involve everyone in the caregiving process.

Start With a Discussion

When there are male and female siblings, it’s easy to assume that the females will do all the work while the males stand by and let them. But not every caregiving situation has to work that way. When siblings have a discussion at the beginning, everyone gets a chance to have their say and talk about their concerns and expectations. If the sisters have concerns that their brothers won’t help out, now is the time to voice them. Conversely, if the males want to help out but aren’t sure how, this discussion can help the family delegate tasks to each other.

Meet the Parents’ Needs Without Regard to Gender

Sometimes gender roles are in place because of the parents’ preferences. Many senior citizens have old school beliefs and therefore they may want their sons and daughters assigned to specific tasks. For example, they may want their son to pay the bills and the daughter to cook the meals. But in reality, the daughter may be financially savvy and better suited to pay the bills, and the son might work as a chef and relish the opportunity to help out in the kitchen. So what can be done? The trick is to meet the parents’ needs, regardless of gender.

Instead of Fighting, Work Together

When things start getting frustrating, focus on a group effort instead of bickering at each other.  Flexibility and negotiation are key. Life is always changing – for the family caregivers and their parents – and it’s important to adapt to these changes.

Consider hiring home care services to help your family meet the needs of your aging loved one. From just a few short hours a week to get a break, to full time care a professional caregiver can help!

For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Pacific Beach, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Checkboxes
READ/AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT: I understand that I will be receiving a call and emails from a staff member of La Jolla Nurses Homecare. The purpose of the call is to understand more about my senior care needs. There is no obligation to purchase any services. You agree to receive automated messages. This agreement is not a condition of purchase. Receive up to 2 messages per month. Reply STOP to opt-out or HELP for help. Message & data rates apply. Terms and privacy policy found here.
Skip to content