Caregiving as Coordination Work: The Psychological Load of Organising Family Support

Family caregiving is often described in terms of time, practical tasks, emotional labour and financial strain. Yet an important part of the role is less visible: organising help across appointments, services, relatives, employers and changing household demands. This note proposes treating coordination work as a distinct, measurable component of caregiving rather than assuming it is captured by hours of hands-on care. Drawing on the established caregiver stress-process framework and contemporary US survey evidence, it identifies how unpredictability, responsibility without authority and repeated administrative negotiation may contribute to psychological strain. It then outlines practical questions for research and service design. The argument is conceptual, not an estimate of the size or causal effect of coordination burden. Its purpose is to make an overlooked form of caregiving work more visible and testable.