Understanding the role of diversity in informal care

Abstract

Introduction: In the Netherlands, professionals in social work and healthcare are increasingly involved in care networks in which informal caregivers, volunteers and professionals need to collaborate in a relationship of equality to support care recipients. At the same time, there is a growing consciousness that the diversity among Dutch citizens should be taken into account within this collaboration. In order to achieve good collaboration, it is important that professionals pay attention to the informal caregiver: who is this person and what views does this person have about providing informal care? Informal caregivers and their views are often very different from each other. In this presentation, we will discuss how professionals can create space for this diversity among informal caregivers.
 Public involvement: This presentation is part of two PhD studies in which informal caregivers, care recipients and professionals in social work and healthcare are involved and determined the necessity for these studies and are involved in the participatory analysis and the dissemination of the results in educational programs and practice. 
 Methods: As part of our PhD studies, several projects were conducted in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. All projects used an intersectional perspective to better understand the role of diversity in informal caregiving experiences. Next to that, a scoping review on this topic was conducted. During the presentation, we will combine insights of several projects to discuss the importance of creating space for diversity in care situations. 
 Results: We discovered the added value of an intersectional perspective to look into diversity among informal caregivers. This perspective helps to get to know the person behind the informal care better, but also to gain a better understanding of the context in which informal care is provided and what people need to be able to continue to provide informal care in a pleasant way. Additionally, this lens provides insight in the necessity for reflexivity amongst professionals about their own positionality and views on providing informal care. Reflecting on professionals’ own frames of reference helps to recognize blind spots and assumptions about the other. Avoiding such assumptions enables professionals to make informal caregivers feel safe and understood.
 Implications for practice and further research: Adopting an intersectional perspective to look into diversity among informal caregivers and working reflexively stimulates professionals to analyse which views, but also assumptions about informal caregivers exist among professionals in teams. This encourages organizations and professionals to improve accessibility of their support and to create space for differences in views and needs in the support they provide. Using intersectionality in informal care research helps to understand the role of diversity in caregiving needs and experiences.