ABSTRACT

In the rural United States (US), high rates of substance abuse have precipitated the need for many older adults to assume the role of primary caregiver for their grandchildren. This situation is particularly common in rural Appalachia, a region known for both sparse resources and strong kinship ties. Drawing on in-depth interviews with twenty-one grandparent caregivers in rural Kentucky, we explore the fraught relationships these caregiving grandparents often have with their adult children, grandparents’ transition to the parental role and forfeiture of the grandparent role, and long-term concerns related to their capacity to physically and financially provide for grandchildren.

Abbreviations: GP: grandparent; GC: grandchild.

摘要

在美国农村 (US)，药物滥用率高导致许多老年人需要承担孙辈主要照顾者的角色。这种情况在阿巴拉契亚农村地区尤为普遍，该地区以资源稀少和密切的亲属关系而闻名。通过对肯塔基州农村的 21 名祖父母照料者的深入访谈，我们探讨了这些照料祖父母经常与成年子女之间的紧张关系、祖父母向父母角色的转变和祖父母角色的丧失，以及长期担忧与他们为孙子孙女提供身体和经济上的能力有关。

缩写： GP：祖父母；GC：孙子。