SGS Event

and public health issue. Grandparents are sought out by social services to provide immediate care for one or more young grandchildren, yet, grandparent caregivers receive significantly fewer services and support than non-caregivers. This is further complicated because placement with African American grandparents are often permanent. Further, African American grandparents are more likely to be plagued with issues related to poverty, chronic illnesses, as well as a lack of knowledge and trust when it comes to navigating social and medical institutions. Drawing on data derived from 22 custodial grandparents in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, our aims are to (1) understand the physical and mental health needs of African American custodial grandparents and; (2) identify what supports are needed for these grandparents to provide the best care for themselves and their grandchildren. Findings suggest that (1) there are significant knowledge gaps in care needs in African American families in comparison to their white counterparts; (2) grandparents' health is more likely to remain the same or worsen as a custodial parent and; (3) African American grandparents experience stress due to time demands, a lack of social support, and a lack of adequate resources which complicates caregiving responsibilities. Research, policy and practice implications of this research include identifying social supports unique to African Americans (e.g., family, friends, distant kin, church) and determining strategies to strengthen them, which is paramount to addressing disparities in care and health for custodial grandparents.

continue to increase. Many older adults lack the knowledge for the enormous task of providing informal care. The number of Americans age 65 and older will be over 98 million by 2050, and one in four may experience mental health issues. Men age 85 and older have the highest suicide rates and women caregiver's experience higher rates of depression, isolation, and loneliness. Both the availability of qualified providers specific to the needs of older adults and the availability of home healthcare workers continues to decline which will have a direct impact on families who need to provide care for loved ones. Many non-professional caregiving relationships occur suddenly with little training of what the role entails. Lack of knowledge of chronic disease or illness, financial constraints, duration of care, need for respite, and general lack of available resources to cope with these issues can cause additional stressors. Many adult non-professional caregivers may face declining health and disability as a result of the caregiver role. The necessity to intervene with information, assistance, and prevention for caregivers is vital. According to research, providing psychoeducation, talk therapy, guidance to resources, and promotion of self-care may result in better outcomes for caregivers during the period of care, after care relationship ends, and better quality of life for the recipient and the caregiver throughout the caring relationship. Knowledgeable Counselors can help to improve and reduce the mental health issues of non-professional caregivers.