Older Adults Who Care for Grandchildren Are Less Lonely

A study of older adults published in BMJ Open suggests caring for grandchildren can stave off isolation, reports United Press International . More than 1,100 of roughly 3,900 polled grandparents cared for a grandchild, and those with grandchildren to care for had lower scores on loneliness and social isolation tests, and a bigger social network than those who did not care for grandchildren. Grandparents who did not care for a grandchild had higher loneliness scores and came into regular contact with fewer people important to them. Accounting for marital status, domestic arrangements, household income, self-rated health, physical activity levels, and depressive symptoms did not change these findings. "Assisting their families to balance work and family by providing supplementary grandchild care may boost grandparents' self-esteem, and may also facilitate ongoing positive relationships with their children and grandchildren," said the researchers. "Moreover, caring for grandchildren may also expand the social circle of grandparents and allow for further opportunities to establish relationships with other parents or grandparents."