Positive aspects of caring

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Abstract
The literature on family care has grown over the last thirty years but much of the dynamics of family care has not yet been fully understood. The study of family care often suffered from two preconceptions. First is the perception that caring relationships are rarely reciprocal and are defined as unrewarding and damaging. Second is the perception that professional knowledge remains superior. Seeking to override the failure of previous models of family care to eradicate the perception that caring is a burden and a traumatizing task, this chapter highlights the positive aspects of caring and the intrinsic pleasures and rewards that come with it. The present chapter attempts to move away from the ‘pathological’ model of family care by emphasising the various satisfactions and rewards carers can experience. The implications of the shift in emphasis in the design and delivery of interventions for supporting family carers is considered. Included as well is a case study that chronicles the development of a partnership wherein the expertise of both service providers and carers is fully acknowledged. The directions for future research are also considered in this chapter in such a way as to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics between carers and those in service agencies.

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