Affiliations: Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies,
Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Abstract: As the average age of the Canadian population continues to increase,
and providing care at home to frail older adults becomes ever more prevalent,
support for family and friend caregivers remains a key social policy issue.
Economic support is an important consideration given the impact of caregiving
on labour force participation. Yet the caregiving/paid work relationship is not
always straightforward. While caregiving often restricts employment, limited
attachment to employment may also influence the decision to provide care.
Isabel's story, collected as part of a study of sibling views of fairness in
sharing parent care as well as parent assets, provides a case study in how
siblings give different priority to care work versus career work and what
support needs arise including those related to sibling conflict over differing
priorities. Isabel claims she sacrificed her career to care for her ailing
mother while her siblings argue that through caregiving, Isabel was sheltered
from the paid workforce.
Keywords: Parent care, care work, labour force participation, siblings, conflict, asset distribution
