Filipino Americans\u27 perspectives of caregiving

With increased life expectancy, more individuals will need to rely on caregivers and/or caregiving services. Filipino Americans are reluctant to depend on outside help when it comes to caring for their family members. There was a gap in the literature concerning the specific impact of the caregiving role on Filipino Americans and how cultural values affect the care provided to their family members. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain understanding of how Filipino cultural values and life roles affected Filipino Americans’ experiences of caregiving. The conceptual framework included the sociocultural stress and coping model. The central research question for the study was used to explore the personal impact of caregiving for Filipino Americans and the sociocultural factors affecting this role. A phenomenological research design guided the data collection and analysis process. Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 participants, recruited from several Catholic Church groups and Filipino community groups located in the Southwestern region of Houston, Texas. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’ steps for phenomenological data analysis and 7 themes were identified: responsibility of caregiving, impact of caregiving on employment status, impact and importance of religion to caregivers, impact of Filipino heritage on caregivers, impact of care recipient’s illness on the caregiver and recipient, resources for caregivers, and reflections on the caregiver experience. Filipino Americans are unique in their practices to provide care for their family members rather than relying on outside providers and institutions. This study may result in positive social change by understanding how societal supports can encourage a model of care based on cultural and familial values rather than outside institutional care