Mobility of care and time poverty: the travel burdens of family caregivers in an aging America
摘要
This study examines the changes in travel behavior among family caregivers of older adults, utilizing data from the IPUMS American Time Use Survey. I find a strong association between having eldercare responsibilities and increased travel time budgets which provides evidence for how aging society could influence travel behaviors among caregivers. The findings underscore the intense work-family conflict under caregiving circumstances and the difficult balance employed caregivers may have to strike between competing demands of care and career. Despite expectations, the analysis indicates little gender differences in the travel burdens related to eldercare, suggesting a potentially larger role for men in eldercare than previously acknowledged. I call for a shift in the focus of mobility of care discussions, from societal distribution of eldercare burdens to the specific challenges of caregiving tasks, advocating for a nuanced approach in transportation planning that considers both economic impacts and gender dynamics in caregiving.