Rethinking Grandparents Who Provide Care For Their Grandchildren: A Contribution To Social Work Field

Abstract

As a result of globalization of capitalism, change of social structure, increase of working hours and the involvement of both men and women in paid labour, child care in the family can be carried out by grandparents. Grandparents' child care generally positively effects their well-being. However, grandparents' psychological and social lives can be adversely affected because of the new and unexpected role of them, their psychological-physical conditions, financial conditions and problems faced with their grandchildren. Social work policies and practices play a major role in solving these problems.

In Turkey, the rate of grandparents who care for their grandchildren is not fixed by statistical data. However, according to the information from the observation, the number of grandparents who care for grandchildren is increasing day by day. In order to solve current problems, countries aim to solve the problems of grandparents and increase their psychosocial well-being in accordance with various policies and programs. In Turkey, there is a gap in policies and practices related to grandparents' providing full-time or part-time care. In this article, at first we discussed the psychosocial problems of grandparents in order to eliminate existing deficiencies and to enhance the quality of their lives and later some recommendations are took part in the macro-size (social policy), mezzo size (school social work, support groups), micro-size (case management, counseling) to solve the problems.

Keywords

• Grandparents,care,psycho-social problems

TORUN BAKIMI VEREN BÜYÜK EBEVEYNLERİ YENİDEN DÜŞÜNMEK: SOSYAL HİZMET ALANINA BİR KATKI

Abstract

Kapitalizmin küreselleşmesi, toplumsal yapının değişmesi, çalışma saatlerinin artması ve buna paralel hem kadınların hem de erkeklerin ücretli iş gücüne katılması sonucu ailedeki çocuk bakım işi büyük ebeveynler tarafından yerine getirilebilmektedir. Büyük ebeveynlerin çocuk bakmaları onların iyilik halini genel olarak olumlu etkilemektedir. Bununla birlikte büyük ebeveynlerin yeni ve beklenmedik bir rol oynamaya başlamaları, psikolojik-fiziksel sağlık durumları, finansal durumları ve torunları ile yaşadıkları sorunlar nedeniyle de psikolojik ve sosyal hayatları olumsuz olarak etkilenebilmektedir. Bu sorunların çözümü konusunda sosyal hizmet politika ve uygulamaları büyük rol oynamaktadır.

Türkiye’de torunlarına bakım veren büyük ebeveynlerin sayısı istatistiki verilerle sabit değildir. Ancak gözlemden gelen bilgiye göre torun bakımı veren büyük ebeveyn oranının günden güne arttığı görülmektedir. Var olan sorunların giderilebilmesi adına ülkeler çeşitli politika ve programlar doğrultusunda büyük ebeveynlerin sorunlarını çözüp psiko-sosyal iyilik hallerini arttırmayı amaçlamaktadırlar. Türkiye’de de yaşlı ve engellilere bakım veren kişiler ile ilgili sosyal hizmet politikaları uygulanmaktadır. Ancak; tam zamanlı veya yarı zamanlı bakım veren büyük ebeveynlerle ilgili politika ve uygulamalarda bir açıklık olduğu fark edilmiştir. Bu makalede mevcut eksikliğin giderilmesi ve büyük ebeveynlerin hayat kalitelerinin arttırılması amacıyla öncelikle büyük-ebeveynlerin psiko-sosyal sorunlarından bahsedilmiş daha sonra problemlerin giderilmesi amacıyla makro boyutta (sosyal politika), mezzo boyutta (okul sosyal hizmeti, destek grupları), mikro boyutta (vaka yönetimi, danışmanlık) öneriler sunulmuştur.

Keywords

• Büyük ebeveyn,bakım verme

References

1. Bachman, H. J., & Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (2005). Custodial grandmothers’ physical, mental, and economic well-being: Comparisons of primary caregivers from low-income neighborhoods. Family Relations, 54, 475-487.
2. Baker, L. A., Silverstein, M., &Putney, N. M. (2008). GrandparentsRaisingGrandchildren in the United States: Changing Family Forms, Stagnant Social Policies. Journal of Societal & Social Policy, 7, 53–69.
3. Blustein, J., Chan, S., &Guanais, F. C. (2004). Elevated Depressive Symptoms among Caregiving Grandparents. Health Services Research, 39(6), 1671–1690.
4. Cox, B., C.(2002). Empowering African American Custodial Grandparents. Social Work, 47(1), 45–54
5. Cox, B., C. (2007). Grandparent-Headed Families: Needs and Implications for Social Work Interventions and Advocacy. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 88(4), 561-566.
6. DiGessa, G., Glaser, K., Price, D., Ribe, E., &Tinker, A. (2016). What drives national differences in intensive grandparental child care in Europe?. The Journals of Gerontology, 71, 141–153.
7. Dowdell, E. B. (1995). Caregiver burden: Grandmothers raising their high risk grandchildren. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 33, 27–30.
8. Dubowitz H, Sawyer, R.,J. (1994). School behavior of children in kinshipcare. Child Abuse and Neglect , 18, 899–911.

9. Edwards, O. W., & Daire, A. P. (2006). School-age children raised by their grandparents: Problems and solutions. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 33, 113–119.
10. Erikson E. (1982). The Life Cycle Completed: A Review. New York, NY: WW Norton CoInc.
11. Esenler Belediyesi. (2016). Dede Torun Yaşam Merkezleri Açılıyor. 10.07.2018 tarihinde erişim sağlandı. https://www.esenler.bel.tr/tr/icerik/31/3645/dedetorun-yasam-merkezi-aciliyor.aspx)
12. Fuller-Thomson, E., & Minkler, M. (2001). American grandparents providing extensive childcare to their grandchildren: Prevalence and profile. The Gerontologist, 41, 201–209.
13. Giarrusso, R., Silverstein, M., & Feng, D. (2000). Psychological costs and benefits of raising grandchildren: Evidence from a national survey of grandparents. İçinde C. Cox (Ed.), To grandmother's house we go and stay: Perspectives on custodial grandparents (s. 71–90). New York: Springer.
14. Gladstone, J. W., Brown, R. A., Fitzgerald, K. J. (2009). Grandparents raising their grandchildren: Tensions, service needs and involvement with child welfare agencies. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 69, 55-78.
15. Grant, R., Gordon, S. G., &Cohen, S. T. (1997). An innovative school-based intergenerational model to serve grandparent caregivers. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 28(1–2), 47 –61.
16. Grant, R. (2000). The special needs of children in kinshipcare. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 33(3), 17 –33.
17. Hayslip, B., Patricia, L., & Kaminsky, P. (2005). Grandparents raising their grandchildren. The Review of Literarure and Suggestion for Practice, Gerontologist, 45, 262-269.
18. Hayslip, B., & Patrick, J. (Ed.) (2003). Working with custodial grandparents. New York: Springer.
19. Jarolmen, J. (2017). Okul Sosyal Hizmeti Bir Uygulama Kılavuzu (Çev. Ed: Yasemin Özkan). Ankara: Nika Yayınevi.
20. Jendrek, M. (1994). Grandparents who parent their grandchildren: Circumstances and decisions. The Gerontologist, 34, 206–216.
21. Jenkins, B. (2010). Grandparent child care in Australia: A literatüre review. Elder Law Review, 6, 1–19.
22. Kelley, S. J. (1993). Caregiver stress in grandparents raising grandchildren. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25(4), 331-337.
23. Kelley, S. J., Whitley, D. M., Sipe, T. A., Yorker, B. C., (2000). Psychological distress in grandmother kinship care providers: The role of resources, social support and physical health. Child Abuse& Neglect, 24, 311-321.
24. Kim, H.-J., Kang, H., & Johnson-Motoyama, M. (2017). The psychological well-being of grandparents who provide supplementary grand child care: A systematic review. Journal of Family Studies, 23, 118-141.
25. Lennartsson, C., & Silverstein, J. (2001). Does engagement with life enhance survival of elderly people in Sweden? The role of social and leisure activities. Journal of Gerontology, 56(6), 335–342.
26. Littlewood, K. A. (2014). Grand families Outcome Workgroup’s (GrOW) review of grand families support groups: An examination of concepts, goals, outcomes and measures. GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 1(1), 32-55.
27. Maguire, L. (2001). Clinical social work: Beyond generalized practice with individuals, groups, and families. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, Thomson Learning.
28. Mignon, S. I., &Holmes, W. M. (2013). Substance abuse and mental health issues within Native American grandparenting families, Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 12 (3): 210–227.
29. Mahne, K. & Huxhold, O. (2015). Grandparenthood and subjective well-being: Moderating effects of educational level, The Journals of Gerontology, 70(5), 782-792.
30. McGarrigle, C. A., Timonen, V., & Layte, R. (2018). Choice and constraint in the negotiation of the grandparent role: A mixed methods study. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 4, 1-12.
31. Moore, S.M.,& Rosenthal, D.A. (2015). Personal growth, grandmother engagement and satisfaction among non-custodial grandmothers. Aging&Mental Health, 19(2), 136-143.
32. Muller, Z., &Litwin, H. (2011). Grandparenting and psychological well-being: How important is grandparent role centrality? European Journal of Ageing, 8, 109-118.
33. Fuller-Thomson, E., Minkler, M., (2001). American Grandparents Providing Extensive Child Care to Their Grandchildren: Prevalence and Profile, The Gerontologist, 41(2), 201–209.
34. Myhra, L., L., Wieling, E., Grant, H. (2015). Substance use in American Indian family relationships: Linking past, present, and future. The American Journal of Famiy Theraphy, 43(5), 413-424.
35. Pivorienė,J. (2007). Atvejo vadyba socialinio darbo metodikoje. Socialinis Darbas, 6(1), 68-75.
36. Pursaklar Belediyesi. (2018). Dede Torun Evleri. 10. 10. 2018 tarihinde erişim sağlandı. https://www.pursaklar.bel.tr/hizmetlerimiz/dede-torun-evleri.
37. Roberto, K. and Qualls, S. (2003). Intervention strategies for grandparents raising grandchildren: lessons learned from the caregiving literature. İçinde Hayslip ve Patrick (Ed.), Working with custodial grandparents (s. 13-26). New York: Springer.
38. Sands, G., R. Goldberg-Glen, R., Thornton, L., P. (2005). Factors associated with the positive well-being of grandparents caring for their grandchildren. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45 (4), 65-82.
39. Seruwagi, K., G., Ssuubi, F., Ochen, A., E. (2016). Support System for Grandparents Caring for Children of Prisoner in Developing Countries. European Journal of Reseach in Social Science, 4(5), 41-58.
40. Simmons, T., & Dye, J. L., & (2003). Grandparents living with grand children, 2000. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau.
41. Smorti, M., Tschiesner, R., Farneti, A. (2012). Grandparents-grand children relationship. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 895–898.
42. Solomon, C. J., &Marx, J., (1995). “To grandmother's house we go:” Health and school adjustment of children raised solely by grandparents. The Gerontologist, 35, 386-394.
43. Tomaka J, Thompson S, Palacios R. (2006). The relation of social isolation, loneliness, and social support to disease out comes among the elderly. Journal of Aging and Health, 18: 359–84.
44. Triadó, C., Villar, F., CeldráN, M., &Solé, C. (2014). Grandparents who provide auxiliary care for their grand children: Satisfaction, difficulties, and impact on their health and well being. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 12(2), 113–127.
45. TUİK. (2009-2018). İşgücü İstatistikleri. 10.10.2018 tarihinde erişim sağlandı. www.tuik.gov.tr.
46. Wohl, E., Lahner, J., &Jooste, J. (2003). Group processes among grandparents raising grand children. İçinde Hayslip& Patrick (Ed.), Working with custodial grandparents (s. 195–212). New York: Springer.