School of Social Work, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Gerontologist. 2012 Apr;52(2):210-8. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnr140. Epub 2012 Jan 31.
Many Baby Boomers are faced with the care of aging parents, as well as that of disabled or ill spouses or children. This study examines how Baby Boomers in Quebec, Canada, perceive and play their role as caregivers and how this might differ from their parents' generation.
This was a qualitative and empirical study using an interpretive constructivist design. We interviewed 39 Baby Boomers caring for a family member with a semistructured guide that examined respondents' identification with their social generation, their relationship to and values regarding caregiving, and the reality of the caregiving they offered.
In contrast to our perceptions of previous generations, the majority of interviewees refuse to be confined to the sole identity of caregiver, as they work to juggle caregiving, work, family, and social commitments. To succeed in this juggling act, they have high expectations of support from services. Based on this new approach to caregiving, we advance the idea of a "denaturalization" of care, no longer seen as a "natural" destiny or "normal" family responsibility.
The new conception of caregiving as work that can and should be shared with services is in direct opposition to public policy that is based on the assumption of family care as the cornerstone of long-term care. Can the healthcare system adapt to the new expectations of the Baby Boom generation or will these caregivers be forced to take on elements of caregiving they no longer consider legitimate?
许多婴儿潮一代面临着照顾年迈父母的问题，同时还要照顾残疾或患病的配偶或子女。本研究考察了加拿大魁北克省的婴儿潮一代如何看待和扮演他们作为照顾者的角色，以及这与他们父母那一辈的区别。
这是一项定性和实证研究，采用解释性建构主义设计。我们使用半结构化指南对 39 名照顾家庭成员的婴儿潮一代进行了访谈，该指南考察了受访者对其社会代际的认同、他们与照顾的关系以及对照顾的价值观，以及他们提供的实际照顾情况。
与我们对前几代人的看法相反，大多数受访者拒绝被局限于照顾者的单一身份，因为他们努力兼顾照顾、工作、家庭和社交承诺。为了在这种平衡中取得成功，他们对服务提供的支持抱有很高的期望。基于这种新的照顾方式，我们提出了一种“去自然化”照顾的理念，不再将其视为一种“自然”的命运或“正常”的家庭责任。
将照顾视为可以而且应该与服务共享的工作的新概念，与基于家庭照顾是长期护理基石的假设的公共政策直接相悖。医疗保健系统能否适应婴儿潮一代的新期望，还是这些照顾者将被迫承担他们不再认为合法的照顾元素？
