Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2011
DOI
10.21277/sw.v2i1.192
Publication Title
Social Welfare: Interdisciplinary Approach
Volume
2
Issue
1
Pages
78-84
Abstract
It is often reported that caregivers of individuals with disabilities experience stress as they manage caregiving responsibilities while they make the effort to balance family and work. Thirty-one caregivers of individuals with an array of disabilities in the United States completed a qualitative survey in this pilot study that asked them to identify their gains and losses from providing care and to identify their life goals. The gains from caregiving were identified as enhanced empathy and compassion, and the losses as strained family relationships, and less personal time. The most commonly identified life goals were experiencing happiness and achieving financial stability. The implications of these results on professionals’ attempts to support caregivers and their families are discussed.
ORCID
0000-0003-2592-8887 (Michalek)
Original Publication Citation
Raver, S. A., & Michalek, A. M. (2011). Gains, losses, and life goals identified by caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the United States. Social Welfare: Interdisciplinary Approach, 2(1), 78-84. doi: 10.21277/sw.v2i1.192
Repository Citation
Raver, Sharon A. and Michalek, Anne M. P., "Gains, Losses, and Life Goals Identified by Caregivers of Individuals with Disabilities in the United States" (2011). Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications. 4.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cdse_pubs/4