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Life satisfaction of adult children (informal carers) looking after their elderly and/or sick parents, and some sociodemographic variables
Abstract
Introduction: Research on adult children, caregivers for their ageing parents, demonstrates an intricate character of their life situation. Long-term care, especially for a sick parent lacks systematic and institutional support and creates numerous challenges related to one’s family life as well as occupational and social roles.
Research Aim: Two research objectives were adopted: the first is to examine and determine the level of life satisfaction among adult children caring for their elderly and/or ill parents, and the second is to identify the relationships between the level of life satisfaction and selected sociodemographic variables.
Method: The study was conducted with the help of a diagnostic survey using a standardised research tool, that is the Satisfaction with Life Scale (the SWLS), and a questionnaire designed by the authors.
Results: Satisfaction with life among carers for their parents was rather low. The statistical analysis did not prove any significant correlation between the carer’s age, gender, education, or duration of the care provided and their life satisfaction. However, significant differences were determined depending on the place of residence, professional activity of the carer, their self-assessment of health, or the amount of time devoted to caregiving.
Conclusions: There is an urgent need to create a diverse network of support for informal carers. It is recommended to create and promote dedicated applications and online platforms helping to provide care, and to strengthen hybrid and formal care offered by the state (including dissemination of information about availability of such forms of support). It is also important to provide help, both psychological and medical, to individual carers.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lrp.2026.45.1.219-239
Date of publication: 2026-03-16 10:06:36
Date of submission: 2025-09-09 22:57:07
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