Aging society, family care, and travel time budgets

Keywords: mobility of care, time-use, transportation justice, aging society, work-family balance
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Caregivers play an outsized role in the well-being of older adults who face increased health and economic vulnerabilities. This labor of love also comes with an emotional burden, stress, time, and challenges to the work-family balance for caregivers. As the US population ages, these care burdens are becoming a more common problem. Yet, the impacts care burden has on the well-being of caregivers and their everyday activities, including travel behavior, have remained in the margins of academia.

This research aims to address this gap by investigating the intersection of older adult care burden and the work life of Americans in full-time employment. Using the Leave Module of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), I first analyzed how the amount of time spent on older adult care affects travel times for other purposes, especially those related to work. I also examined the relationship between workplace leave policies and the daily time profiles of caregiving employees. I find that a greater older care burden is associated with a higher daily travel time budget for employed workers, especially females. I also find evidence of matching between employers with more flexible leave policies among employees with significant care burdens.

This research addresses questions about how contemporary societies can meet the rising challenges that come with an aging society through policies related to transportation and workplace flexibility. Furthermore, by connecting the complex web of actor-relationships, policies, and geography behind unjust mobilities outcomes for family caregivers, this research contributes to ongoing discussions of transportation justice.