General and proximal associations between unpaid eldercare, time constraints and subjective well-being

Population ageing requires understanding the implications of eldercare. Using American Time Use Surveys, the authors find that caregivers spend less time on personal care and social activities/sports, and more time on housework, than individuals who do not provide any eldercare. They also report higher stress and lower happiness. In addition, caregivers may not provide care every day, but on days when they do, they also spend more time on housework and less on paid work, and report higher levels of sadness than on days when they do not provide care. Regular caregivers experience worse wellbeing than non-caregivers, but also experience additional strain on days when they provide care.