Male informal carers’ experiences regarding duty, needs and burden of care

Abstract

This study utilised a descriptive research design where the experiences of male informal carers in Malta were explored. Specific features considered were their experiences regarding duty felt by these carers, their perceived needs, and burden of care which these carers feel they are carrying. Data was collected from a convenient sample of 14 participants referred by from the dementia intervention unit. This data was collected by means of an interview schedule formulated by the researcher where thematic analysis was later used to scrutinise the information collected. Findings revealed that male informal carers responded to the caregiving role in a different manner than their female counterparts. It was also discovered that males assumed the role of caregiving for various reasons with different caregiving styles and relationships adopted to deliver the care. The study also revealed that caregiving impacted negatively on various aspects of the caregivers’ lives. Nonetheless, despite the negative impacts there were also positive aspects of caregiving that many times coexisted with the undesirable effects. Together with these aspects the caregivers expressed feelings regarding the perceived burden of care felt, and the difficulties encountered during the care. The caregivers revealed information regarding support services utilized to aid their caregiving. They also highlighted what they thought would be relevant improvements or additional services to help in their caregiving. The results highlighted several policy implications and a number of recommendations were identified. Population trends show that the number of older persons will increase dramatically in the coming decades. Consequently, it is being recommended that this invaluable source of caring will continue to be boosted and nurtured in order to be able maintain sustainability in both long term and acute care as well as be able to cultivate a culture of ageing in place with an eventual higher quality of life for older persons and their caregivers.