Gender, time, and money in caregiving

Nurses and scholars in other disciplines have examined the consequences of caregiving on the caregiver in behavioral and attitudinal terms, under the general rubric of "burden." This paper considers caregiver burden in less commonly used labor and economic terms. In addition to expanding nursing's conception of caregiver burden, this approach highlights issues gender-specific to the majority of caregivers, women. Housework is used as a model for women's unpaid work. Based on this model, studies are reviewed in which hours and dollars are measures of caregiving burden. Some specific calculations of the value of elder kin care are given. It is urged that the economic consequences of caregiving be routinely considered and evaluated when nurses in practice and/or research address the needs of caregivers.