[Reconciling activities of working women providing care and the influence of structural and cultural factors].

BACKGROUND

Today, an increasing proportion of society has to reconcile eldercare and work. This task poses challenges for them, which they meet through an adjustment of their everyday living arrangements. These coping strategies have been so far scarcely noted within research on the reconciliation of elder care and employment. Knowledge about the active dealing with this parallel involvement in both spheres of life is of vital importance when wanting to derive precisely tailored support measures for employed care givers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A goal of this article is to deliver insight on reconciling activities of employed women who provide care, while it tries to specify respective factors which determine those actions. Moreover, an ideal typology is presented, which systematizes these associations.

RESULTS

With this ideal typology, conceptual instruments have been developed which illustrate the complex reality of the reconciliation actions and the dependence on various coping resources. In gerontological practice, these findings may provide support to design an intervention strategy tailored to the individual situation that addresses the everyday level of action and strengthens the performance of those affected.