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As both the child and the senior age the SSG caregiver’s role changes. For the child the SSG sees their role to educate and guide the child in order for the child to learn from the risk taking experiences. From the SSG’s perspective as the child grows and learns they have an upwards trajectory for independence and autonomy which continues to increase as they age. The SSG is less involved in assessing the risk and making decisions for the child regarding risk taking activities as they view the child as more capable of making their own decisions. Although the SSG sees the benefits of supporting the child’s independence, the SSG may still take steps to control the child’s participation in risk taking activities if the possibility of harm outweighs the benefits. Depending on the SSG’s confidence in the child’s abilities the SSG may protect their safety by setting boundaries, monitoring the situation, or preventing their engagement entirely. Otherwise, the SSG allows the child more autonomy and the child gains more independence. The SSG also derives satisfaction from supporting this outcome.

By contrast, the SSG views the senior as maintaining a stable or declining

trajectory for autonomy and independence. The SSG may assist the senior to manage the risk as they still see the benefits of the senior controlling their own life as they age

provided they can do so safely. As the SSG perceives the senior as declining in ability and less capable of managing risk as they age, the SSG sees a greater probability that irreparable harm will occur if the senior participates in risk taking activities. However, the SSG may view the risk as minimal if they do not see the senior as capable of participating in the activity at all and the activity would not be one the senior would engage in. An example of this is the computer and internet use scenario where some of the SSG participants rated the risk low as they did not view the senior being able to use the computer so they would not be exposed to the risks. Although the SSG wants to preserve the senior’s dignity if the potential for harm is too great, the SSG takes steps to control the senior’s actions by persuading them not to engage or preventing them from doing so entirely. Therefore, as the SSG views the senior declining in ability, the SSG is more involved in assessing risk and controlling the situation which decreases the senior’s autonomy. The risk rating scores for the driving and moving situations support this view as does the finding that the SSG as caregiver gains satisfaction from protecting the senior from harm and knowing they are safe.

Because I assume she’s in her 90s by this time and your reflexes are not what they used to be, your judgment even if you appear to be pretty well, ah your brain is aging by that time I don’t think you have the same judgment you do when your younger and your eye sight is certainly not as good at night especially and raining to me that’s just an accident waiting to happen. Um yes because as you grow older in fact your reasoning and your intelligence unfortunately don’t increase [laughs] it’s starting to decline no matter what so that’s why the risk is higher. You don’t expect them to improve with age. No, it’s the opposite. – Patricia

It would make me much happier if I just did it for her so that we do not need to have any accidents at this stage of her life. – Tammy

The SSG’s evolving caregiver role and views regarding experiencing risk did impact the child’s and senior’s independence as they aged. The concept that for children autonomy continues to increase and by contrast the senior’s autonomy declines is exemplified in the SSG’s own statements.

Well I think it’s ironic that you are looking at someone as they begin to become an adult and someone as their adult life and independence somewhat changes because there is some correlation to how much you care. I mean at one stage as a teenager letting go of the care and parameters and then at some stage with some seniors you’re looking at how you add it back in and it’s an interesting equation because they’re not really at the same stage but you’re looking at a pattern of independence growing and then independence perhaps being taken away. – Carol

No I don’t think so I just find it curious that we’re working both ends of the spectrum and ah you have huge risk factors for your parents and you have huge risk factors for your children and yet they are diametrically opposite risk factors. If that makes any sense. – Jennifer

This was fascinating for me, just that for me to think of those two opposite ends of the spectrum and how, how I differ on that. I never realized it before, but when you put it in these terms I see, I can see how I feel differently for one then the other similar situations. It was really interesting for my own awareness – Lisa

6

Chapter 6: Conclusion

This study focused on understanding how women in the sandwich generation as caregivers to both children and seniors perceived risk. The process they used to assess, evaluate and classify risk was explored to understand the criteria considered by them when making risk taking decisions for both a child and senior engaging in risk taking activities. The impact of their risk perception and evaluation was considered as it related to their actions, the child and senior’s ability to engage in risk taking and ultimately the resulting outcome or impact on the child or senior’s independence and quality of life. The fact the SSG was a caregiver for both the child and senior allowed researcher one to identify similarities and differences in the SSG’s perception and evaluation of risk, actions taken by the SSG and the impact on independence for both generations.

The findings highlighted that the SSG used a similar process to assess, evaluate and classify risk for both the child and senior. The SSG valued the importance of independence for both the child and the senior as well as ensuring their safety when determining whether to allow them to engage in a risk taking activity. However, the findings showed that the SSG did not treat the child and senior the same when it came to engaging in risk taking activities. Provided safety was not an issue, the SSG saw risk taking as a learning opportunity for the child and a way for the senior to maintain their independence.