Grandchild Caregiving Tied to Better Memory and Verbal Fluency in Later Life
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- A large study suggests grandparents who care for grandchildren perform better on memory and verbal tests and may decline more slowly over time.
- Researchers say the benefits could relate to purpose, physical activity, positive emotions, and social connection, but the study cannot prove cause and effect.
- Findings were strongest for grandmothers, and experts note caregiving may help grandchildren too, depending on the situation and stress levels.
A large, recent study found that grandparents who looked after their grandchildren experienced a slower cognitive decline over time and performed better on memory and verbal fluency tests than those who did not.
Writing for Everyday Health on Tuesday (Jan. 27), lead author Flavia Chereches, a researcher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, said caring for grandchildren can give older adults opportunities to engage in service-oriented activities that many find deeply meaningful.
“We know that staying active—moving the body and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities—is good as we age. Potentially, the cognitive benefits may come from positive emotions linked to caregiving, increased physical activity, or higher social integration,” she said.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 3,000 grandparents aged 50 and older (with an average participant age of 67) enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
To assess brain health, participants completed cognitive tests up to three times between 2016 and 2022.
Overall, grandparents who provided any level of caregiving scored higher on memory and verbal tests than those who provided none, even after accounting for age, education, health status, and other factors.
Deborah Kado, MD, a geriatric specialist, professor of medicine, and director of the Stanford Longevity Center in Palo Alto, California—who was not involved in the study—said the findings are plausible.
“Grandparents who are caregivers for young children likely have more opportunities to be exposed to new ideas and experiences, and they may also have a greater sense of purpose—for example, helping raise grandchildren to succeed as adults—compared with those who do not have the chance to provide care or choose not to,” she said.
Kado added that it may be less about how long older adults provide care and more about the mix of activities—helping with homework, playing games, preparing meals, and driving grandchildren to activities—which together can offer varied mental and social stimulation rather than a single task delivering all the benefits.
While both groups showed higher cognitive scores when they provided care, only grandmothers experienced a smaller decline in memory and language tests. Researchers suggested this may be because grandmothers more often take a central role in caregiving, while grandfathers may be less involved or provide care alongside a partner.
Still, the study does not directly prove that caregiving protects against cognitive decline. It is also possible that healthier grandparents are more likely to be asked to help, and that some parents may worry about older family members taking on caregiving responsibilities.
Researchers also stressed that caregiving may not be beneficial in every situation. The study did not measure whether grandparents experienced caregiving as rewarding or stressful, even though that difference could meaningfully affect outcomes.
Although the research focused on benefits grandparents may gain from caregiving, Kado said there may also be benefits for grandchildren.
Studies suggest that grandparent involvement can improve children’s cognitive and verbal abilities, mental health, and overall well-being.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
