The demands and resources of working informal caregivers of older people: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic literature review synthesises the existing knowledge about the impact on working caregivers managing dual responsibilities of paid work and informal eldercare, as well as the demands and resources related to juggling these duties. Due to the increasing volume of research in this area, it is important to synthesise current knowledge and identify gaps for future research in the area of Occupational Health Psychology. We identified 45 papers for inclusion in our systematic literature review. Demands and resources were categorised according to the Individual, Group, Leader, and Organisation (IGLO) model. Findings suggested ways that the workplace can provide support to informal caregivers, such as from peer-to-peer, manager-to-subordinate, organisational policy, and cultural aspects. Evidence showed that certain levels of the IGLO model, such as the individual, leader, and organisational-level resources as well as individual demands have received more research attention. Current studies mostly focused on one or two specific levels of the IGLO model rather than taking a holistic approach to examine factors at all levels. Our findings suggested that future research should take into account all levels of the IGLO model to fully capture the dynamics of juggling paid work and eldercare and we proposed a future agenda for research.