OLDER ADULTS AS CAREGIVERS: HOW DOES IT IMPACT THEIR CONSUMPTION PATTERNS?

AbstractOlder adults have become the emerging force for providing informal caregiving to their parents, grandchildren, or both when needed. To investigate the association between the intensity of caregiving provision and household consumption patterns, this study uses China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011 and 2013 survey data and a difference-in-differences method. Results show that 39.1% of older adults (n=13,098; age 55 or older) in China were informal caregivers in 2013, and the average caregiving time was 16.44 hours/week. Older adults who provided caregiving for more than 40 hours spent significantly more on food, clothing, and transportation, but less on home maintenance, healthcare services, education, and leisure. Interestingly, rural elders becoming more intensive caregivers spent on average 396 yuan more on tobacco and alcohol in 2013 than in 2011. Future policies and programs should pay more attention to financial burdens and time-use impacts for older caregivers.