August 5, 2024
When Elder Care Is All in the Stepfamily
A 2022 study led by Sarah Patterson found that stepchildren provide less care to aging adults, creating “a substantial ‘step gap’.” Almost half of older adults with only biological children received care from them, but fewer than a quarter in stepfamilies did. Sarah Patterson told the New York Times, “Even older adults themselves are less likely to expect stepchildren to help them later in life.”
Original study:
Sarah E Patterson, Robert F Schoeni, Vicki A Freedman, Judith A Seltzer (2022). Care Received and Unmet Care Needs Among Older Parents in Biological and Step Families. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 77, Issue Suppl. 1, Pages S51–S62.