Elderly Care and the Multiple-Role Woman: How Social Support May Ease Caregiver Burden
Open Access
Author:
Dabiero, Matthew
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jon F Nussbaum, Thesis Supervisor Lori Ann Bedell, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
caregiving caregiver burden dementia social support
Abstract:
Informal family caregivers experience a wide range of demands and difficulties that
impact their physical, mental, emotional, and relational well-being. Middle-aged women who
provide care for an elderly dependent adult are forced to balance caregiving alongside the duties
they fulfill in a host of other relationships and roles in their life. Much research has been done on
the impacts of caregiving on informal family caregivers, and this study looks specifically at how
caregiving affects a woman’s relationships and communication within those relationships. The
purpose of this study is to better understand the lived experience of female caregivers around
midlife who are providing care for an elderly dependent adult while balancing a wide variety of
responsibilities in other role spheres of their life. Analyses reveal both the relational benefits that
may arise through the caregiving experience and the detrimental impacts it can have on one’s
health and relational well-being. This study highlights the importance of social support in
providing a multidimensional support system for individuals struggling with the hardships of
caregiving.
