Of Wives and Daughters: Stereotypes of the Caring Female?

Abstract

This chapter illustrates how the perceived degree of caregiver burden impacts on the caregiver’s perception and, thus, presentation of the patient. The insights so gained call for stronger socio-economic caregiver support. ‘Of Wives and Daughters’ also aims to separate out conceptual differences between parental and spousal caregiving: shared memories of a life-long relationship colour patient presentation, also because they enable the maintaining of pre-narrative identity; daughters may care mindful of their generational duties, but see their own identity as child at stake. This chapter also argues that the increasing societal awareness of dementia and a related awareness of caregiver needs led to a shift from a stereotypical caregiver- to a more patient-centred approach in caregiving, which is strongly reflected in more recent caregiver accounts.