Managing unavoidable conflicts in caretaking of the elderly: humor as a mitigating resource

Abstract

This article demonstrates how humor can be used as a resource for managing and minimizing unavoidable conflicts in caretaking of the elderly. Focusing on one particular caregiving task, the diaper change, the article shows how conflict arises in these situations due to the emotional and physical stress that both caregiver and care recipient are under. While these situations and their ensuing conflicts are unavoidable due to the institutional constraints of caregiving, the article attests that when caregiver and care recipient engage in humorous talk before initiating the diaper change, they pay more attention to each other's needs and wishes during the diaper change and thus manage to minimize the conflict that is bound to occur.