SUPPORTING SPOUSAL CAREGIVERS - EXPLORING THE MEANING OF SERVICE ELSE

The stress associated with caring for an impaired elderly family membe r has been well documented. Spousal caregivers In particular may jeopa rdize their own health while attempting to meet the demands of caregiv ing. Formal support services have been developed and are aimed at redu cing the stress associated with caregiving. However, simply providing services does nor ensure utilization. Research documents the low utili zation of services by the elderly, particularly spousal caregivers, bu r fails to explain it adequately. The author explores the gaps in curr ent understanding of the issues and identifies the subjective meaning associated with service we as an important but overlooked determinant of service utilization. Selected case studies demonstrate the importan ce of this understanding for effective intervention.