Caring for Caregivers: Establishing Resilience through Social Capital

There is growing agreement in the research literature that informal caregivers play a crucial role in supporting high needs populations as well as contributing to the sustainability of formal healthcare systems. This dissertation uses a convergent parallel design consisting of three main research phases: analysis of secondary qualitative data from two case studies providing supports to informal caregivers of community-dwelling high-needs persons, including both seniors and children with complex medical needs; collection and analysis of primary qualitative interview data from providers involved with the case studies; and qualitative interviews with informal caregivers and care providers from across Ontario. The dissertation applies social capital theory as a conceptual framework to analyze how care providers and informal caregivers perceive different formal approaches to supporting informal caregivers as contributing to caregiver resilience. Within the policy and academic literature, there has been increased recognition for supporting people and their informal caregivers. Yet, this focus remains largely at the individual level, and caregiver burden and burnout continues to be assessed solely as a byproduct of the complex (mainly medical) needs of the care recipient. The findings from this dissertation suggest the importance of cultivating broader understandings of the â caregiver problemâ in order to identify, support, and assess networks of support (both formal and informal). Applying social capital theory and the concept of resilience, this dissertation identifies the importance of the healthcare system and connecting people to it and within it. This dissertation provides evidence for supporting the development of formal and informal ties, particularly at the bridging and linking levels to improve a care networkâ s access to resources and produce longer-term capacity and resilience. The use of social capital presents a novel conceptual advance in research on caregiver resilience, the relationship between caregiver and system sustainability, and the benefits that can derive from the multidimensional aspects of social capital.Ph.D.2018-07-08 00:00:0