TITLE:
The Burden of Elderly Care on African American Family Caregivers: The Case of the South Side of Chicago
AUTHORS:
Christie Richardson, Tekleab Gala, David Springer, Anil Bhattarai, Abigia Haile, Samanta Alam
KEYWORDS:
African American Caregivers, Caregiving Burden, Psychological and Social Impacts, Aging Population and Unpaid Care, South Side of Chicago
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.14 No.4,
October
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: As the population of aging Americans grows, African American family caregiving is increasingly important, particularly for adults who seek to age in place. This study examined the physical, psychological, social, spiritual/religious, economic, and vocational burdens of family caregiving using mixed methods, including in-depth qualitative interviews (questionnaires) and quantitative analyses of caregivers’ responses. Accordingly, an overwhelming majority of the caregivers are employed full-time, yet spend over 4 hours per day on caregiving, which perhaps contributed to expressed physical exhaustion and stress. However, despite these challenges, most reported good to excellent mental well-being, perhaps due to strong family networks, support from faith-based communities, and access to spiritual coping mechanisms. Many caregivers reported that caregiving has strengthened their faith. These findings are significant for understanding and guiding policy interventions regarding the burdens, coping strategies, and support systems of African American family caregivers. Further research could strengthen the study by conducting in-person focus group discussions with larger, more diverse samples.