# The Perceived Quality of Life of Older People in Spain Who Care for Grandchildren and Related Variables: A Mixed Methods Study

## TL;DR

This study examines how caring for grandchildren affects the quality of life of older people in Spain, finding that it can lead to stress and poor health.

## Contribution

The study introduces a mixed methods approach to understand the complex impact of grandparental caregiving on health and well-being.

## Key findings

- Grandparent carers with higher involvement report more symptoms of depression and stress.
- Shared care arrangements can negatively affect grandparents' physical health-related quality of life.
- The perceived positivity of keeping grandparents active can turn negative when their willingness to care is exploited.

## Abstract

Grandparental care of grandchildren is a prevalent social phenomenon. This study explores the perceptions of health-related quality of life of grandparents caring for their grandchildren. A mixed methods design was developed. In the first phase, participants were interviewed using a baseline questionnaire. The second phase consisted of focus groups with 19 of the 100 participants in the quantitative phase. The scores obtained from the quantitative analysis are in line with the qualitative data; they reflect that grandparent carers who are more involved in the care of their grandchildren have more symptoms of depression and stress and have poorer perceptions of physical health-related quality of life. What may at first appear to be a positive aspect, keeping grandparent carers active, can become negative when it comes to shared care and when the grandparents’ willingness to provide care is abused.