Generations Split on Who Should Support Elders
Younger African American adults more often back shared family and government funding for older relatives' finances than older adults do.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Eldercare
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Should the government mainly be responsible for supporting older adults' finances?
A study examined how African American adults across three age groups view family and government responsibility for supporting older adults, covering finances, household chores, and personal care. Findings show younger adults are more likely than older adults to back a shared family-and-government approach to financial support.
Why it matters
For families planning elder care, these attitudes shape who expects to pay for and provide day-to-day help as parents age, which affects household budgets and caregiving arrangements. The results suggest that expectations about public support differ across generations within the same households.
Among 1,696 African American adults, 56.9% of young adults endorsed a shared family-and-government approach to older adults' finances, compared with 35.6% of older adults. Mainly government responsibility was endorsed by 38.2% of older adults versus 22.7% of young adults, and 65.5% of all respondents endorsed mainly family responsibility for household chores.
The players
University of Rhode Island
A public research university whose researcher led the study on family and government responsibility for older African American adults.
University of Michigan
A public research university whose affiliated co-author contributed to the study on elder support attitudes.
University of Texas Medical Branch
A academic medical institution whose affiliated co-author contributed to the study on elder support attitudes.
The details
Researchers drew on the National Survey of American Life Adult Reinterview and asked respondents to choose among three options: family responsibility, shared family and government responsibility, or mainly government responsibility. The study compared responses across young adults (18 to 39), midlife adults (40 to 64), and older adults (65 and older) for financial support, household chores, and personal care. Results varied by task, with family responsibility dominating chores while financial support drew more support for a shared or government role.
The Home Front
The findings add to research using the National Survey of American Life, which has tracked how African American families think about caregiving across generations. As more U.S. households plan for aging parents, these attitudes help explain why family budgets and public support expectations may diverge.
If you are sharing care for an aging relative, talk with siblings and other family members early about who will cover finances, chores, and personal care. Consider what public programs or community resources might be available in your area, and check with a local aging services office before making commitments.
The takeaway
Attitudes about who should support older relatives vary by age, so families may need to discuss expectations before care needs arise. Writing down a shared plan for finances, chores, and personal care can help prevent surprises later.
Further reading
For more on planning care for aging relatives, explore our Eldercare coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.
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