Informal carers: sources and concomitants of satisfaction

Empirical and conceptual explorations of informal care have concentrated largely on the difficulties and problems of carers to the virtual exclusion of the gratifications and rewards that can be experienced. Whilst not seeking to minimize the undoubted problems which carers face, this paper attempts to redress the balance by providing evidence that caring can be a source of personal satisfaction for many individuals and that such satisfaction can co-exist with high levels of stress. It begins by highlighting some common conceptual elements from the available literature on the satisfactions of informal carers. Qualitative data from an investigation by the authors are used to illustrate the range of rewards and satisfactions experienced by informal carers. Analysis of the presence of rewards and satisfactions suggest that factors in the social context of care rather than the personal or dependency characteristics of the cared-for are important concomitants. Theoretical, methodological, policy and practice implications are considered in turn.