Ageing and Caring as Couples with Disabilities

Abstract

In gerontology and care research, care is often studied in ways in which older people and people with disabilities are portrayed as dependent on the care of younger or non-disabled people. This thesis, in contrast, studies care provided by people that are both old and have physical disabilities.The thesis explores how care is actualized and experienced by older couples who both have long-term or lifelong disabilities and investigates the implications of this caring in the couples' lives. Nine couples between 60 and 84 years old, of whom most had had disabilities for over 20 years, were interviewed as dyads; a process also conjoint interviewing. These interviews were analysed using grounded theory methods of coding and constant comparison. The results of the thesis confirm that it can make sense to be a carer even if one also needs care in everyday life. Meanwhile, the analysis also considers how conjoint interviewing resulted in relational and performative data about mutual care. The study helps explain the significance helping a partner despite having other sources of formal support and the difficulties of providing this help oneself. Finally, in a study whose participants are growing old together with disabilities, the results also show that the couples could regard themselves as ageing advantageously compared to other groups.Through its focus on caring for and by older people with disabilities, this thesis is at the intersection of social gerontology, care research and disability studies. However, from its interdisciplinary perspective, it can also challenge established discourses in these fields. Specifically, the study problematizes the absence of a care discourse in disability studies and the mostly age-and functioncoded ways in which care is discussed in care research. The thesis problematizes dichotomies used in understanding care, such as roles of carers/care receiver, caring/servicing and dependence/independence. It also challenges established ways of thinking about successful ageing. Lastly, the thesis contributes to the still growing literature on ageing with a disability.

Delaktig (även) på äldre dar : Åldrande och delaktighet bland personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning som bor i gruppbostad

“…Inom både socialgerontologisk forskning och funktionshindersforskning har antagits att personer som åldras med funktionsnedsättning riskerar ett dubbelt utanförskap (Walker & Walker, 1998;Thorsen, 2005;Sandvin, 2008). Senare studier har dock visat att förhållandet mellan funktionsnedsättning och ålder är mer komplext än så och att erfarenheten av att åldras med funktionsnedsättning inte nödvändigtvis behöver betraktas som något ensidigt negativt (Jeppsson Grassman, 2001;Taghizadeh Larsson, 2009;Torgé, 2014).…”

«Mujer de mi madre». Identidad y funciones de los coprogenitores y de las coprogenitoras en familias reconstituidas no heteronormativas

“…Por su parte, las entrevistas conjuntas permitieron superar los posibles conflictos éticos relativos al anonimato y al consentimiento entre las partes de la pareja y, al mismo tiempo, este procedimiento favoreció una mayor riqueza discursiva, tanto en los temas como en los datos proporcionados al crear un espacio para la reflexión conjunta (Bjornholt y Farstad, 2014). Distintos estudios (Taylor y De Vocht, 2011;Torgé, 2013) han puesto de manifiesto las ventajas de las entrevistas conjuntas en investigaciones que versan sobre dinámicas familiares, en concreto las que se refieren al estudio del clima de interacción generado y a los datos que de ahí proceden. No obstante, este tipo de entrevistas también tienen limitaciones que se derivan de las relaciones de poder que prevalecen en algunas parejas, lo que puede provocar que un miembro acapare todo el discurso (Morris, 2001).…”

DRS2018: Catalyst

“…The European Commission have stated that in the future, young people (>14) and older adults (<65) may become "too heavy a burden on younger working age people (15-64) (EU, 2011)." Concerns are not just economic, and as a consequence of age, our bodies change and decline (Torge, J, 2014). As a result of longer lifespan and medical advances we are now living longer in our own homes, often with some form of functional limitation (Haak, et.…”