Profiles of grandmothers who help care for their grandchildren in the United States

This study examines the characteristics of grandmothers who help provide care for their grandchildren, using data from a nationally representative sample (N = 2,095). Overall, 43% of grandmothers helped provide care for their grandchildren on a regular basis Grandmothers' age, living arrangements, number of children, number of grandchildren, education and health were associated with the likelihood of caregiving. Cluster analyses were conducted to identify a typology of grandmothers. This typology was based on caregiving, social roles, demographic characteristics, and well-being of the grandmothers. Four types of grandmothers were identified. "Homemaker" grandmothers (19%) and "young-and-connected" grandmothers (23%) helped provide care for their grandchildren. "Remote" grandmothers (32%) and "frail" grandmothers (26%) did not provide care. Caregiving did not prevent the grandmothers from assuming other roles within and outside the family.