Inside the World of Older Spouse Carers

This book explores the experiences of older people who provide care within marriage, highlighting the neglected role of older spouse carers and the positive social contributions they make. Drawing on relevant data, literature and research including in-depth interviews conducted with 26 older spouse carers, the author challenges classed, gendered, and other assumptions and expectations around older age and unpaid caring. These include the beliefs that older age is a time of passivity and dependency, that caring is a primarily female role that transcends class divides and that this caring is a normal part of the spousal relationship and not worthy of special attention. In addition to challenging these assumptions, the book will consider the implications of findings for service provision.

This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers in Social Care, Sociology, Gerontology, and Gender Studies. In addition, practitioners and policy makers may also find this book of interest.

1. Introduction.- 2. An Overview of Unpaid Caring in Older Age.- 3. Setting the Scene.- 4. The experience of caring.- 5. Context and resources.- 6. Management strategies.- 7. External support.- 8. Challenging expectations.

Elaine Argyle has worked as a post-doctoral researcher at several UK universities, most recently as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham. Her research experience includes two competitively-obtained, ESRC-funded solo projects on resources and caring in older age, as well as team-based projects on care transitions, person-centred care and support strategies utilised within spousal caring relationships. Currently, she works as a mental health professional in the social care sector.