Table of ContentsHow Strengths and Risk Factors Affect Their LivesRights/Implications/Role of Social WorkersConclusionHaving grandchildren is expected be a storybook experience with snapshots of laughter and cuddles, the fun of treating little ones with gifts and extra servings of dessert before returning them to mom and dad. But for a growing number of grandparents, joyful playdates with their grandchildren have been replaced by the responsibility of caring for children full-time. Doctors and other health professionals are just beginning to realize that these requirements are taking a toll on the health of many grandparents. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Grandparents raising their grandchildren face unique stressors, which are quite common when dealing with this population. An example of a stressor that was evident in both videos was the financial burden this places on these families. The Douthitts family, after fighting for years to gain custody of their grandchildren, is facing high court costs and legal fees that amount to thousands and thousands of dollars. After nearly losing their home to foreclosure, they are still struggling to get by. The financial burden doesn't stop there for the Douthitts: They also pay for therapy and tutoring to meet the needs of their three grandchildren. Although Cathy could return to work unlike most grandparents, she was not financially stable enough to support her six grandchildren, which took a toll on her emotionally. Daycare was a huge expense for Cathy who was looking for financial support to help raise her three grandchildren. It's not just that grandparents are exhausted from chasing their little ones and juggling extracurricular activities. Grandparents suffer from problems like depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, alcoholism and stroke. Doctors associate these problems with the stress of being parents again, this time in much more difficult circumstances than the first time. The increase in grandparents raising grandchildren is primarily due to high rates of parental substance abuse; child abuse, neglect or abandonment and divorce. These social problems leave their mark on children in the form of depression, grief, learning disabilities and other special needs, which add to the financial and emotional strain on grandparents. This is the situation Cathy faces with her daughter, which leads her to take care of her grandchildren full time. Using role strain theory and socioemotional selectivity theory will help examine how grandparents experience the pressure of caregiving. How strengths and risk factors affect their livesSome grandparents are pressured to survive until their grandchildren are grown and take better care of themselves than before they became caregivers, which is considered a strength. Accepting your health problems with a new desire to heal, the risk here lies in the multiplicity of stress factors. Some grandparents will benefit from help from doctors to control stress. This impacts grandparent caregivers as a group withparticular health risks, who, as a result, become self-advocates using their grandchildren to help them do better. Cathy found the courage to return to work, grieve the loss of her pension, and risk her health to raise her grandchildren. However, through this, she gained coping skills, self-determination and empowerment. This transition had negative impacts, but it brought her closer to her family and allowed her to form new connections through support groups. Cathy lost all her old friends, but created a whole new, supportive community around herself and her grandchildren. Grandparents raising their grandchildren demonstrate resilience by overcoming these obstacles to better themselves and those around them. Rights/Implications/Role of Social WorkersLaws vary from state to state when caring grandparents raising their grandchildren. Due to variations in laws, this forces grandparents who want the best for their grandchildren to seek legal help, which does not come cheap. Along with this, there are implications: there is an emphasis on prioritizing grandparents as caregivers because it is assumed that they are willing and able to provide. Florida discourages grandparents from trying to gain custody of their grandchildren, even when the grandchildren are suffering under dire circumstances. Florida does, however, allow grandparents to obtain custody in certain situations, all of which require costly court proceedings. The Douthitt family was forced to sue for custody, and Cathy was also forced to fight for guardianship because her grandchildren were taken from their parents. Create pressure on families through intensity, making the problem seem detrimental to the family's existence. Although grandparents have priority, unless the parent is deceased, it becomes difficult to obtain custody, especially in the state of Florida. As noted earlier, some grandparents, because they become caregivers for their grandchildren, strive to take better care of themselves in order to stick around. However, it is common for caregiving grandparents to neglect their own health when living on fixed incomes. Minimize their own health problems, especially when it comes to money, or if the situation is either they are seeing the doctor or they are seeing their grandchildren. Even when money is not a major factor, many grandparents deny or downplay their own symptoms for legal reasons. Grandparents who seek custody of a grandchild because the parents are addicted to drugs often fear being denied custody if they admit to health problems. An example of this is the Douthitt family and their grandmothers who are battling cancer. The addressed role of a social worker at the macro level of this issue boils down to advocating for the community of grandparents raising their grandchildren. Most grandparents can overcome these obstacles through their determination to raise their grandchildren well. Social workers should use support groups to help grandparents harness their inner strengths and help them effectively cope with this new life transition. Grandparent Reaching Out is a support and advocacy group for those caring for their grandchildren. There is a constant need for support groups for this community that give these members a wide range of information, including updates on disciplinary techniques, legal aspects of custody and.