abstract: 'Supporting caregivers and enabling continued workforce participation are

  central strategies in Australia''s response to an ageing population,

  however these strategies have potential disadvantages for carers,

  particularly women, including reduced workforce participation and

  retirement income, and poorer health status. This paper explores the

  nexus between paid work and caregiving for Australia''s baby boomer

  cohort as this group faces unprecedented pressures to manage paid work

  alongside caring longer and more intensively for family members,

  including grandchildren. A sample of 1261 men and women aged 60 to 64

  completed the 2011-12 Life Histories and Health survey, a sub-study of

  the New South Wales 45 and Up Study. The survey collected data on

  sociodemographic, psychosocial, life history and health-related

  variables including caregiving and employment status. Around a third

  (32.5\%) of the sample (52.2\% female) were involved in some type of

  caregiving at the time. Compared to non-carers, carers reported lower

  workforce participation (45.8\% versus 54.7\% for non-carers) as well as

  poorer health, more mobility difficulties, lower quality of life and

  lower self-rated SES. Carers who also cared for grandchildren were more

  likely to be in part-time or no paid work compared to other carers.

  Working carers tended to be more highly educated, have fewer mobility

  difficulties, better self-rated health and higher SES than non-working

  carers. Male carers were more likely than female carers to be in

  full-time or no paid work. Results indicate that reduced workforce

  participation and health status of caregivers varies by gender and type

  of caregiving. Policy reforms are recommended to mitigate these adverse

  consequences on those providing care, their families, employers and the

  community.'
affiliation: 'Kendig, H (Corresponding Author), ARC Ctr Excellence Populat Ageing
  Res CEPAR, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

  Kendig, H (Corresponding Author), Australian Natl Univ, Res Sch Populat Hlth, Ctr
  Res Ageing Hlth \& Wellbeing, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

  O''Loughlin, Kate, Univ Sydney, Fac Hlth Sci, Ageing Work \& Hlth Res Unit, Camperdown,
  NSW, Australia.

  O''Loughlin, Kate; Loh, Vanessa; Kendig, Hal, ARC Ctr Excellence Populat Ageing
  Res CEPAR, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

  Loh, Vanessa, Univ Sydney, Sch Psychol, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

  Kendig, Hal, Australian Natl Univ, Res Sch Populat Hlth, Ctr Res Ageing Hlth \&
  Wellbeing, Canberra, ACT, Australia.'
author: O'Loughlin, Kate and Loh, Vanessa and Kendig, Hal
author-email: hal.kendig@anu.edu.au
author_list:
- family: O'Loughlin
  given: Kate
- family: Loh
  given: Vanessa
- family: Kendig
  given: Hal
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/s10823-017-9321-9
eissn: 1573-0719
files: []
issn: 0169-3816
journal: JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL GERONTOLOGY
keywords: 'Australia; Baby boomers; Carers; Caregiving; Employment; Health and

  wellbeing'
keywords-plus: 'GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN; QUALITY-OF-LIFE; PRODUCTIVE

  ENGAGEMENT; INFORMAL CAREGIVERS; ELDER CARE; IMPACT; WORK; GRANDMOTHERS;

  SATISFACTION; AGE'
language: English
month: SEP
number: '3'
number-of-cited-references: '85'
orcid-numbers: 'Kendig, Hal/0000-0002-0353-3182

  Loh, Vanessa/0000-0002-3393-8535'
pages: 339-356
papis_id: ecac874ec585d3ff5710eda252742ba7
ref: Oloughlin2017carercharacteristics
times-cited: '14'
title: Carer Characteristics and Health, Wellbeing and Employment Outcomes of Older
  Australian Baby Boomers
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000408870100005
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '10'
volume: '32'
web-of-science-categories: Gerontology
year: '2017'