Klaipėdos universitetas

Trends in population ageing, the growing demand for public resources to care for older adults, and social policies aimed at formalising informal care, all underscore the need to develop a unified and efficient care system in modern welfare states. However, the prevailing discourse that pits formal care against informal care, along with deep-rooted traditions of family caregiving, expectations of receiving family care in old age, and mistrust in the quality of formal care, create significant barriers to integrated care provision. Integrated care for older adults seeks to bridge these two systems: one perceived in the public discourse as altruistic, loving care, and the other as a rational choice motivated by compensation. A critical question for their integration is whether there are common points of connection that can reconcile such differently defined systems of care. This paper aims to identify the preconditions for integrating formal and informal care for older adults by exploring the concept of care work. Through a secondary analysis of research findings, the study compares the perspectives of formal caregivers (individual care workers) and informal caregivers (family members) on caregiving. The results indicate that, when examined through the lens of the ‘work’ concept, formal and informal caregiving have many similarities. These two forms of care not only complement but, in some cases, substitute one another. The study’s findings convey a positive message to society and care recipients, showing that formal care, as a fulfilling work choice for caregivers, shares more commonalities with informal caregiving than differences.

In this study, we examine the psychological well-being of older adults who have experienced the loss of a child. The study delves into whether psychological well-being differs between those who have and those who have not experienced the death of a child, and whether the time since the loss helps to predict well-being. Data from Waves 7 and 8 of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (N = 37 649) were used. Psychological well-being was assessed with the Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure (CASP-12) scale. The results show that while bereaved individuals tend to have lower psychological well-being, the difference is small. It was also found that the time after bereavement is positively associated with levels of well-being, indicating the possible long-term recovery of well-being.

Parenthood is quite rare among physically disabled adults in Finland, and becoming a parent can be labelled as a taboo act. In this paper, we shed a light on this salient topic by scrutinising the experiences of Finnish mothers and fathers with physical disabilities. The research questions are: (1) How do mothers and fathers describe their agency as parents? and (2) How is their agency constructed within social structures and relations? The analysis is based on qualitative teller-focused interviews with 17 mothers and fathers. The results reveal their agencies as multidimensional, and demonstrate how parenthood is constructed through interaction within institutional spaces. Personal support, peers and NGOs also play an important role in the construction of agency. Interaction can either limit, question or support the agency of disabled people as parents. The results show that the parents have strong agency in using their knowledge, and flexible resources when meeting the demands.