Older Arab Americans and Younger Family Caregivers: Intergenerational Experiences and Needs

Background and Purpose: Emigration from Arabic speaking countries to the United States has increased substantially since the 1960s, yet there has been little research on older Arab Americans. Most existing studies were conducted in the Detroit metropolitan area, where the majority of Arab Americans are of Lebanese descent. In spite of the traditional Arab emphasis on filial responsibility, the studies have been based on reports by elders only and have not investigated the experiences of younger family caregivers. We conducted a qualitative study of older Arab American immigrants and younger family caregivers residing in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, which have the highest density of Arab Americans in Illinois. This population of Arab Americans is primarily Muslim Palestinian and Jordanian in origin. Findings of this study regarding intergenerational experiences and needs will be presented.

Methods: The study included four focus groups, ranging in size from four to ten participants: a) two groups, one male and one female, of Arab American immigrants age 60 or older; b) two groups, one male and one female, of Arab American adults under age 60 who had frequent contact with one or more older parents or parents-in-law. An ethnic social service agency recruited the participants and was the site for the focus groups. The male facilitator and female co-facilitator of the groups were bilingual in English and Arabic. Group discussions were audio recorded and then transcribed in English. The two principal co-investigators conducted thematic analyses of the transcriptions using Atlas-TI and based on a grounded theory paradigm.

Results: The most common living arrangements reported by older women were with or near sons. However when in need of assistance, they turned most often to daughters, whom they perceived as more “compassionate” than daughter-in-laws. Participants in both younger focus groups revealed role strains related to elder care, but the strains varied by gender; women reported conflicts with their roles as spouse and parents of minor children, and men reported conflicts with paid employment. The younger men experienced both burdens and satisfactions related to caring for and co-residing with an older parent or grandparent. Whereas the burdens were similar to those reported for caregivers in the general population, the satisfactions were more culturally specific and included fulfilling cultural mandates to care for and honor elders. The men also appreciated their elder relatives for providing continuity with their culture, religion, ancestry, and history.

Conclusions and Implications: Although exploratory in nature, the study has implications for service development and provision to Arab American elders and younger family caregivers. The study found that Arab American daughters were highly involved with older parents, even when the parents resided with sons. This suggests that optimal service provision may require involving and supporting more family members than just a co-resident caregiver and facilitating conversations about generational connections. Because of the emphasis on family care, caregivers may be hesitant to utilize formal services and when formal services are utilized, may expect to be included in planning for elder relatives' care.