Empowering Family Caregiving Research in the Philippines (2024-2025)
This project team examined how the Philippines is preparing for population aging and the rising demand for long-term care at the individual, family and societal levels. To address this question, the team analyzed data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP), conducted a comprehensive scoping review of caregiver burden in low- and middle-income countries, and engaged with older adults, caregivers and policymakers to assess readiness and policy implications.
Through the LSAHP analysis, the team studied 612 caregiver-care recipient pairs and identified key factors driving caregiver burden, including care recipients’ severe functional limitations and multiple chronic health conditions. These situations required extensive household and personal care support and were linked to financial strain and difficulties balancing competing responsibilities. The findings showed that higher education levels and non-voluntary caregiving were common in complex care situations, suggesting an evolving and multifaceted caregiving landscape.
The team’s scoping review, which synthesized 43 studies from more than 1,000 reviewed, reinforced that caregiver burden is strongly shaped by care recipients’ health limitations, psychological distress among caregivers, inadequate support systems and financial and time pressures. The review highlighted protective factors such as higher education, confidence in caregiving roles and strong community support, and it found evidence that structured interventions, including caregiver education and training, can reduce burden significantly. Looking ahead, the team will hold in-person forums in May 2025 with researchers, policymakers and organizations in several Philippine cities to share results, gather feedback and refine strategies to strengthen family caregiving systems in the country and broader region.
Timing
Fall 2024 – Summer 2025
Team Outputs
Analyzed data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging and Health in the Philippines
Comprehensive scoping review of existing research on caregiver burden in low- and middle-income countries
Engagement program with key stakeholders in the Philippines, May 2025
This Team in the News
Assistant Professor Awarded two Bass Connections Projects
Image: Crossing: Elderly lady making her way across the road, Bacolod City, Philippines, by Brian Evans, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0