According to the same report, the number of households where grandparents are the sole caregivers increased by 53 percent between 1990 and 1998. She is assistant professor of psychology at the University of Alabama and facilitator of the Grandparents United Support Group in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Grandparents United helps those who are raising grandchildren deal with the frustrations surrounding their new role and educates them to be effective caregivers. In their attempts to care for their grandchild or grandchildren, the grandparents may begin neglecting their own health care. They may forget to take their medication, for example.
Stress is a big issue across all age groups because of the restructuring of a lifestyle.
Stress also may come from fear of the parent who may return to the household from time to time and upset the stability the grandparent has worked to establish. Also, when children come to the grandparents from adverse circumstances, a common occurrence, they bring a lot of problems with them, which the grandparents then are faced with resolving. Grandparents living on fixed incomes, and even middle-income grandparents, find the financial burden difficult. The PTA could host discussions and information sessions around a host of issues these families face, said Marcus. For example, the PTA could invite legal experts, to talk about grandparents' rights and responsibilities.