genus perspective
Making room for young adults who also provide care
A research agenda published in December 2024 calls for closer attention to young adult caregivers. We consider how families can recognize their contribution while making space for education, work and relationships.
What we found in the research
A research agenda published December 28, 2024 (opens in a new tab) asks researchers to look more closely at young adults caring for older relatives. Karen L. Fingerman and colleagues discuss how caregiving can sit alongside education, early employment and developing relationships.
“Such interventions should not take a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”
— Fingerman and colleagues, Innovation in Aging
The article brings together existing literature and identifies questions for future research. It does not test a new support program. Its main focus is ages 18–29, while acknowledging that studies define young adulthood differently.
The authors also describe varied family expectations and the ways caregiving may be meaningful as well as demanding. That is a useful starting point for listening without deciding in advance how a young caregiver must feel.
Why this matters to us
A grandchild may provide regular rides, translate everyday information or fill a gap when another relative is unavailable. The family may describe this as helping out, even when it shapes that person’s week.
At genus, we think recognition should begin with the work itself. Someone does not have to be the main caregiver for their contribution to matter.
Recognition also needs to leave room for a future. A class, first job, friendship or evening out should not be treated as an optional extra simply because another family member’s need is visible and immediate.
Make the agreement visible
Our suggestion is to invite the young adult into a conversation about three things: what they already do, what they can sustain and what they need to protect.
Start with an ordinary week. Include the unexpected calls and small errands, not just the scheduled visits. Then identify one responsibility they are comfortable accepting and one boundary that needs the family’s support.
For example, a grandchild might agree to a regular weekend visit while asking another adult to handle transport during exam weeks. The arrangement should include whom to contact when plans change.
Ask what the young person values about the relationship, too. A shared meal with a grandparent may matter in a different way from being permanently on call.
Revisit the agreement as school, work and family circumstances change. A previous yes should not silently become a permanent expectation.
The genus connection
Today, the genusConnect Care App (opens in a new tab) supports enabled conversations, events and tasks for invited community members. Features and access depend on the organization’s configuration.
An agreed event or task can help make a contribution visible to the care circle. The important decision remains human: asking rather than assuming who is available. This connects to our mission of supporting family participation while respecting the people doing the supporting.
One question to take away
Have you asked the young adult in your care circle what they need room to pursue?
Supporting references
- Young Adult Caregivers for Older Family Members: Setting a New Research Agenda (opens reference preview; direct link opens in a new tab)
Innovation in Aging · 2024-12-28
Karen L. Fingerman and colleagues synthesize existing literature and propose research questions, focusing primarily on caregivers aged 18–29. The 2025 volume article was first published online December 28, 2024.
