The Health of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Literature Review
Authors: Hadfield Jessica C. 
Published: August 2014

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading This Article

Instructions

1.2
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at
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. To obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “The Health of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Literature Review” found on pages 32–42, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until March 31, 2016.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Activity Objectives

1.
Name two reasons for grandparents in the United States to be raising grandchildren.

2.
List two factors that increase psychological or physical distress among grandparents raising grandchildren.

3.
Define at least two suggestions to improve grandparent caregiver distress.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the author have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Around the world, an increasing number of grandparents are raising grandchildren in households without a biological parent. This is no less true in the United States, where grandparents raising grandchildren are at increased risk for depression and declining physical health. The purpose of this article is to explore the recent literature as it relates to the psychological and/or physical health of grandparents raising grandchildren. On reviewing 19 articles from the past 10 years, it is clear that the literature consistently verifies the health risks, especially depression, for grandparents raising grandchildren; however, the lack of research regarding grandfathers and non-African American caregivers is apparent. The factors influencing grandparents raising grandchildren are numerous, which calls for care providers to assess the needs, situations, and perceptions of grandparents individually. Finally, a need has arisen for more research suggesting and validating interventions that health care providers can use to support this population of older adults.
[Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40
(4), 32–42.]