Applying Risk Society Theory to findings of a scoping review on caregiver safety

• Published in: Health & social care in the community Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 124 - 133
• Main Authors: Macdonald, Marilyn, Lang, Ariella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2014; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Attitudes; caregiver; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Carers; Chronic Disease - nursing; Chronic Illness; Chronic illnesses; Chronic sickness; Cost of Illness; Economic hardship; Health care; Health services; home care; Home Nursing - psychology; Humans; Methodology; Patients; Personal safety; Psychological Theory; Risk; Risk Society; Risk Society Theory; Safety; Social Change; Social Values; Risk Society Theory; risk; home care; caregiver; chronic illness; safety
• ISSN: 0966-0410; 1365-2524
• DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12056

Chronic Illness represents a growing concern in the western world and individuals living with chronic illness are primarily managed at home by family caregivers. A scoping review of the home‐care literature (2004–2009; updated with review articles from 2010 to January 2013) on the topic of the caregiver revealed that this group experiences the following safety‐related concerns: caregivers are conscripted to the role, experience economic hardship, risk being abused as well as abusing, and may well become patients themselves. Methodology and methods used in the scoping review are presented as well as a brief overview of the findings. The concepts of risk and safety are defined. Risk Society Theory is introduced and used as a lens to view the findings, and to contribute to an understanding of the construction of risk in contemporary health‐care.