Work-family balance among caregivers of elderly people: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Active workers may experience role conflict when trying to reconcile work and caregiving activities with elderly family members. Objective: To carry out a systematic review of empirical research on work-family balance among caregivers of the elderly. Method: Scopus, PubMed, Scielo, BVS, Web of Science and PsycInfo databases were consulted to identify research published from 2015 to 2020. Results: 20 articles were identified and categorized as follows: 1. Caregivers of elderly people with dementia and cancer; 2. Gender; 3. Sandwich Generation and Baby Boomers; and 4. Individual and collective coping strategies. It was highlighted that there are specificities in the work-family balance that can favor both positive and negative spillovers; therefore, they must be considered in the planning of individual and collective strategies. Conclusion: In order to favor work-family balance, the choices between work and family responsibilities should be studied, as well as expanding this narrow framework through the analysis of aspects involving gender, biography, cultural norms, social values, economic aspects and political solutions available to these workers.