Abstract
Formal support comprises services provided by health, social care and community-based agencies (CBAs), including charities. Evidence indicates poor uptake of formal support by older male care-givers who often fail to accept help until a crisis point is reached. Given the growing recognition of caregiving as gendered, there is a need for an enhanced understanding of how support providers can assess and address the needs of this caregiving sub-group. The aim of this study was to explore formal care providers' perspectives of support for older male spousal care-givers through focus group interviews. The study was conducted in a region in the United Kingdom (UK) with four CBAs (participants: n = 33), and five statutory healthcare providers (participants: n = 51). Thematic data analysis resulted in the identification of three themes: Service Priorities, Engaging Men, Assessment of Need. Findings revealed that service flexibility was key to providing support; difficulties in engaging men in support and low take-up of carers' assessments were potential barriers to support. Social workers should have an in-depth understanding of how caregiving is gendered and how this may influence the support needs of older male spousal care-givers. Enhanced carers' assessment training, which highlights collaboration in planning and delivery of tailored support, may result in support that enables older male care-givers to sustain their caregiving role.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | bcaa019 |
| Pages (from-to) | 205-222 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | The British Journal of Social Work |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 15 Apr 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 31 Jan 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers.
Keywords
- care-giver
- gender
- male
- masculinity
- spousal
- support
