Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: São José, José
Data de Publicação: 2020
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/16559
Resumo: This article examines how care encounters at the elders' homes are forged, and how the way these encounters are forged avoids or evokes the social imaginary of the fourth age. Data were gathered in Portugal from elders receiving home care (16 cases), their care workers (eight cases) and family carers (six cases), through participant observation and informal conversations (conducted at the elders' homes), as well as focus groups. The collected data were analysed according to the procedures of Framework Analysis. This study found five forms of care encounters - marked by conflict, infantilisation, burden, harmony and indifference - the harmony form being the only one found to maintain the fourth age at a distance. It concludes that home care has a Janus-like nature in relation to the fourth age, and that the way home care encounters are forged depends on the conditions of the care settings and the actions of all participants in care encounters. It also concludes that it is difficult to maintain the social imaginary of the fourth age at a distance when the elders exhibit high levels of infirmity. Finally, it concludes that family carers play a crucial role in the way care encounters unfold. Implications for practice and policy include vocational training regarding the relational component of care, and information and educational programmes for family carers.
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spelling Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?Fourth ageHome careCare encountersGeriatrics & GerontologyThis article examines how care encounters at the elders' homes are forged, and how the way these encounters are forged avoids or evokes the social imaginary of the fourth age. Data were gathered in Portugal from elders receiving home care (16 cases), their care workers (eight cases) and family carers (six cases), through participant observation and informal conversations (conducted at the elders' homes), as well as focus groups. The collected data were analysed according to the procedures of Framework Analysis. This study found five forms of care encounters - marked by conflict, infantilisation, burden, harmony and indifference - the harmony form being the only one found to maintain the fourth age at a distance. It concludes that home care has a Janus-like nature in relation to the fourth age, and that the way home care encounters are forged depends on the conditions of the care settings and the actions of all participants in care encounters. It also concludes that it is difficult to maintain the social imaginary of the fourth age at a distance when the elders exhibit high levels of infirmity. Finally, it concludes that family carers play a crucial role in the way care encounters unfold. Implications for practice and policy include vocational training regarding the relational component of care, and information and educational programmes for family carers.Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)Portuguese Foundation for Science and TechnologyEuropean Commission [UID/SOC/04020/2013]Cambridge University PressSapientiaSão José, José2021-06-24T11:35:52Z2020-032020-03-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/16559eng0144-686X10.1017/S0144686X18001241info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-07-24T10:28:31ZPortal AgregadorONG
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
title Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
spellingShingle Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
São José, José
Fourth age
Home care
Care encounters
Geriatrics & Gerontology
title_short Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
title_full Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
title_fullStr Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
title_full_unstemmed Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
title_sort Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?
author São José, José
author_facet São José, José
author_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Sapientia
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv São José, José
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Fourth age
Home care
Care encounters
Geriatrics & Gerontology
topic Fourth age
Home care
Care encounters
Geriatrics & Gerontology
description This article examines how care encounters at the elders' homes are forged, and how the way these encounters are forged avoids or evokes the social imaginary of the fourth age. Data were gathered in Portugal from elders receiving home care (16 cases), their care workers (eight cases) and family carers (six cases), through participant observation and informal conversations (conducted at the elders' homes), as well as focus groups. The collected data were analysed according to the procedures of Framework Analysis. This study found five forms of care encounters - marked by conflict, infantilisation, burden, harmony and indifference - the harmony form being the only one found to maintain the fourth age at a distance. It concludes that home care has a Janus-like nature in relation to the fourth age, and that the way home care encounters are forged depends on the conditions of the care settings and the actions of all participants in care encounters. It also concludes that it is difficult to maintain the social imaginary of the fourth age at a distance when the elders exhibit high levels of infirmity. Finally, it concludes that family carers play a crucial role in the way care encounters unfold. Implications for practice and policy include vocational training regarding the relational component of care, and information and educational programmes for family carers.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-03
2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
2021-06-24T11:35:52Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/16559
url http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/16559
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 0144-686X
10.1017/S0144686X18001241
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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