Caring for a dependent elderly parent: Care arrangements and sibling interactions in France.

Summary As the population ages, the question of caring for dependent older adults is becoming a major issue for society. The French government has introduced policies on the issue, but family and children provide much of the care themselves. When a person becomes dependent, does the number and gender distribution of their children have an impact on the care they receive? It is known that the majority of caregivers are women, but what happens with single-sex sibships? Do older and younger siblings behave differently? Taking data from the Handicap-Santé survey on disability and health, Quitterie Roquebert, Romeo Fontaine and Agnès Gramain highlight asymmetries of both gender and birth order in the care children give their parents, with differences according to the type of help provided.