Time Use and Well-Being in Family and Other Unpaid Caregivers of Older Adults

Caregivers report limited freedom to engage with others, participate in physical activities, pursue leisure activities, and sleep. Few studies have focused on caregivers' time use across different activities, particularly how different patterns of time use are associated with well-being. This study aimed to (a) identify time-use profiles of family caregivers of older adults and (b) examine associations between identified time-use profiles and caregiver well-being.

We analyzed data from 1,640 family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults from Round 7 (2017) of the National Study of Caregiving and the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Latent profile analysis was used to estimate time-use profiles based on 4 indicators (i.e., regenerative time, discretionary time, eldercare-related committed time, non-eldercare committed time). We conducted regressions to examine the relationship between the latent profiles and well-being outcomes.

Three profiles of caregivers emerged based on time-use patterns. The Overloaded profile (20%) spent the greatest time in non-eldercare committed activities, such as household activities and paid work. The Flexible profile (49%) spent the most amount of time in social activities and physical activities, and the least amount of non-eldercare committed time compared to the other 2 caregiver types. Lastly, the Occupied profile (31%) allocated time relatively evenly in all activities. When comparing well-being outcomes, caregivers in the Flexible profile had lower levels of anxiety than the Occupied profile.

The profiles acknowledge the diverse experiences of caregivers, underscoring the significance of granting them greater latitude in balancing eldercare responsibilities and personal life for enhanced well-being.