The Provision of Time to the Elderly by Their Children

This paper uses matched data on the elderly and their children to study the provision of time by children to the elderly. It develops a Tobit model as well as a structural model to analyze the determinants of this decision. The main determinants of the amount of time given to parents appear to be the parent's age, reported health, and institutionalization status, and the children's age, health, and sex. Older parents, less healthy parents, and non-institutionalized parents receive more time from their children, while younger children, healthier children, and female children provide more time. In contrast to these demographic determinants, economic variables, such as children's wage rate and income levels, appear to play a rather insignificant role in the provision of time. In addition, the evidence does not support the hypothesis that parents purchase time from their children.