Women and men facing informal caregiving: differences in strategies and meaning

Abstract

The increase of life expectancy in our population has enhanced the importance of dependent elderly care. This task is carried out mainly by women who, as a matter of fact, witness the effects of social change concerning family and work. Objective: Deepen the understanding of the different strategies that women and men take in their role as caregivers through the interpretation and analysis of their own perceptions. Methodology: with the aim of better understanding the significance of all these consequences, a qualitative study based on five focus groups with both men and women caregivers was carried out. Results: the interiorization of the ‘caregiver role’ entails a greater physical and emotional burden among women, who show a higher vulnerability towards its effects. Men respond differently to this situation, which produces unlike effects among them. These differences should be considered when designing strategies focused on gender equity and improvement of dependent elderly care.

Keywords

• informal caregiving
• gender difference
• qualitative health research
• dependency.