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'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'

Maria Allen Orcid Logo, Gideon Calder Orcid Logo

Social Policy Review, Volume: 33, Pages: 115 - 134

Swansea University Authors: Maria Allen Orcid Logo, Gideon Calder Orcid Logo

Abstract

While it has become something of a cliche to say that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare hitherto under-recognised patterns of disadvantage in the UK, the light rarely shines on the situations of family carers. This article addresses this gap. It reports on primary data based on 3...

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Published in: Social Policy Review
ISBN: 978-1-4473-5972-2
Published: Bristol Policy Press 2021
Online Access: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-policy-review-33
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57443
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spelling 2021-09-27T15:32:31.7969600 v2 57443 2021-07-23 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales' f11318a153778735541e4eb1d08b4a92 0000-0002-6026-6201 Maria Allen Maria Allen true false 7a50a4eeeb5c00bad3acd160cf138a8e 0000-0002-5668-1824 Gideon Calder Gideon Calder true false 2021-07-23 PHAC While it has become something of a cliche to say that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare hitherto under-recognised patterns of disadvantage in the UK, the light rarely shines on the situations of family carers. This article addresses this gap. It reports on primary data based on 30 semi-structured interviews with family carers living in Wales. Through analysis informed by a critical ethics of care approach, it reveals a context of continuing tensions experienced by carers - tensions that have in key respects been exacerbated by policy responses to the pandemic. We find that in offering protection towards care-receivers, typically along the lines of a medical model, these responses have - among their other implications - often served to undermine the agency of both care-receiver and caregiver and reinforce a discourse in which care is confirmed as a burden, rather than as contributing to well-being. Shining a light on these aspects of the pandemic experience, we argue, offers an opportunity to redefine what well-being for family carers means. Book chapter Social Policy Review 33 115 134 Policy Press Bristol 978-1-4473-5972-2 family carers; informal care; unpaid care; COVID-19; Wales; ethics of care 30 7 2021 2021-07-30 https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-policy-review-33 https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-policy-review-33 COLLEGE NANME Public Health COLLEGE CODE PHAC Swansea University 2021-09-27T15:32:31.7969600 2021-07-23T14:34:00.2050102 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Health and Social Care - Public Health Maria Allen 0000-0002-6026-6201 1 Gideon Calder 0000-0002-5668-1824 2
title 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
spellingShingle 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
Maria Allen
Gideon Calder
title_short 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
title_full 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
title_fullStr 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
title_full_unstemmed 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
title_sort 'We have been left to go it alone': the well-being of family carers of older people during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wales'
author_id_str_mv f11318a153778735541e4eb1d08b4a92
7a50a4eeeb5c00bad3acd160cf138a8e
author_id_fullname_str_mv f11318a153778735541e4eb1d08b4a92_***_Maria Allen
7a50a4eeeb5c00bad3acd160cf138a8e_***_Gideon Calder
author Maria Allen
Gideon Calder
author2 Maria Allen
Gideon Calder
format Book chapter
container_title Social Policy Review
container_volume 33
container_start_page 115
publishDate 2021
institution Swansea University
isbn 978-1-4473-5972-2
publisher Policy Press
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Health and Social Care - Public Health{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Health and Social Care - Public Health
url https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-policy-review-33
document_store_str 0
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description While it has become something of a cliche to say that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare hitherto under-recognised patterns of disadvantage in the UK, the light rarely shines on the situations of family carers. This article addresses this gap. It reports on primary data based on 30 semi-structured interviews with family carers living in Wales. Through analysis informed by a critical ethics of care approach, it reveals a context of continuing tensions experienced by carers - tensions that have in key respects been exacerbated by policy responses to the pandemic. We find that in offering protection towards care-receivers, typically along the lines of a medical model, these responses have - among their other implications - often served to undermine the agency of both care-receiver and caregiver and reinforce a discourse in which care is confirmed as a burden, rather than as contributing to well-being. Shining a light on these aspects of the pandemic experience, we argue, offers an opportunity to redefine what well-being for family carers means.
published_date 2021-07-30T04:13:11Z
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score 11.03559

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