Life Quality among Family Carers

Abstract

The aim of this research is to describe, from an ethnographical view, the way life quality of family carers of elderly population functionally dependent could be affected, as consequence of performing as such, as well as their own point of view.

This is an ethnographical study, supported by focused ethnography, among 14 family carers of 65 years people, who had been caring for more than six months. It was done in the municipality of  Envigado (Colombia), in the year 2002. The sampling was made of fifteen in depth interviews.

The interview analysis evidenced seven major topics or categories about carers own perception on their role as such and its effects on their life quality: meaning of life quality; carers perception about their own role; physical and mental health consequences of the role; carer-caree relations; knowledge and learning about care people; carers support for developing as such; and invisibility of carers’ job.

The resulting categories coincide with the ones of some other studies. The category “invisibility of family carers’ job” is noticeable but it is the least documented in literature and in the importance on value and group traditions approach for analyzing their responses to social life.