Demographically, the United States is witnessing two major changes; people are living longer, and more people are divorcing and remarrying. In the first study of its kind, research in Journal of Marriage and Family examines the challenges faced by remarried caregivers.
Over 35 million Americans are remarried, with 500,000 adults over 65 remarrying each year. Concurrently one in eight older Americans has Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and rates are expected to triple by 2050.
Stepfamily members were identified as a source of burden for remarried caregivers and disagreements with stepfamily members were associated with greater incidents of depression. The findings illustrate the increasingly complex nature of support and caregiving among late-life remarried older adults.