Till Death Us Do Part? A Critical Analysis of Obligation and Choice for Spousal Caregivers

Abstract

Research demonstrates a significant number of carers identify obligation or lack of other alternatives as the reasons they undertake informal care. By utilizing critical discourse analysis, this research explores choice for informal caregivers in contemporary Australian social policy. Analysis demonstrates increasing shifts in policy toward choice in consumer-directed care, a feature absent for those who provide care. Familial care is a central pillar of Australian social policy, as it is in many liberal and conservative welfare regimes. Analysis reveals that these core social policies are fundamentally incongruent, with significant implications for individuals and social work practice.

Flying Under the Radar? Risks of Social Exclusion for Older People in Rural Communities in Australia, Ireland and Northern Ireland

“…In the risk environment, where choice becomes a central tenet in policy discourse (Cash et al . ), there are questions concerning how risk and choice intersect in rural settings. Thus, while some older people move to rural areas in search of cheaper housing, others choose to move away from the city in retirement.…”

“…In the current socio-political context, these characteristics are likely to be pushed to their limits by the scale of social and economic challenges evidenced in rural places (Helbrok 2003;Winterton and Warburton 2011). In the risk environment, where choice becomes a central tenet in policy discourse (Cash et al 2013), there are questions concerning how risk and choice intersect in rural settings. Thus, while some older people move to rural areas in search of cheaper housing, others choose to move away from the city in retirement.…”

Observing Women Caregivers’ Everyday Experiences: New Ways of Understanding and Intervening

“…In the past 3 decades, there has been a growth in research on family caregiving, on topics as wide-ranging as caregivers' physical health (Ho, Chan, Woo, Chong, & Sham, 2009;Pinquart & Sorensen, 2007;Vitaliano, Zhang, & Scanlan, 2003), well-being and coping (Chappell & Dujela, 2009), financial and workplace impacts (Wakabayashi & Donato, 200;Young & Holley, 2005), long-distance caregiving (Cagle & Munn, 2012), post-care bereavement (Orzeck & Silverman, 2008), the lack of choices faced by caregivers (Cash, Hodgkin, & Warburton, 2013), and spousal caregivers' sexual and intimate lives (Drummond et al, 2013). There has also been extensive scholarship regarding the gendered nature of caregiving (Grant, 2004;Ward-Griffin, Brown, Vandervoort, & McNair, 2005).…”

Needs of people with dementia and their spousal carers: A study of those living in the community

“…With changes in intimacy, identity and perceived value reported differently by the carer and the person with dementia, transitioning from roles as “husband and wife” to “carer and person with dementia” can be challenging for both partners . Australian aged care policies and systems depend on informal carers such as spouses, even though it is acknowledged that spousal caring is highly intensive . Recent legislative changes towards consumer‐directed aged care may provide greater flexibility and person‐centredness in the delivery of care for people with dementia .…”

“…Recent legislative changes towards consumer‐directed aged care may provide greater flexibility and person‐centredness in the delivery of care for people with dementia . However, consumer‐directed care places responsibility on carers to choose the “right” level of support for consumers, potentially creating conflict within spousal relationships . This raises questions as to how the needs of people with dementia and their spouses are understood.…”