Book

End-of-life issues are increasingly central to discussions within medical anthropology, the anthropology of political action, and the study of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Felicity Aulino's Rituals of Care speaks directly to these important anthropological and existential conversations.

Rising life expectancy has led to the growth of the ‘Sandwich Generation’ – men and women who are caregivers to their children of varying ages as well as for one or both parents whilst still managing their own household and work responsibilities. This book considers both the strains and benefits of this position.

Book Description: Little is known about the experiences of children living in families affected by severe and enduring mental illness. This is the first in-depth study of children and young people caring for parents affected in this way. Drawing on primary research data collected from 40 families, the book presents the perspectives of children (young carers), their parents and the key professionals in contact with them.

The study aims to give an understanding of the perspectives of younger people with dementia and their carers and to make recommendations on future service delivery, policy development and practice. The report begins with an extensive literature review, followed by details of the study methodology. In-depth interviews with six sufferers and six carers were undertaken. The findings are reported with liberal use of quotations from the study participants to ensure the voice of sufferers and carers is heard. Sufferers' perceptions of their world are given prominence.

Little attention has been paid to the immense struggles facing disabled people and their caregivers as they try to plan their long-term futures. This book sets out practical ways to maximise future care options for such community care user groups. It focuses on the priorities of older caregivers and people with learning disabilities to give numerous suggestions for increasing control people have over their affairs and links these to central legislation and entitlement issues.

Despite its familiarity, the realities of care are both complex and contested. This book offers a unique approach to scrutinising the co-existence of both care and abuse in relationships. It demonstrates ways of increasing critical reflexivity when working with people involved in difficult care relationships. The book emphasises that when talking about care, we need to care about talk. Discourse analysis is introduced as a method of investigating relationships, policy and literature in informal care.

Once a synonym for death, cancer is now a prognosis of multiple probabilities and produces a world of uncertainty for carers. Drawing on rich, in-depth interview data and employing interactionist theories, Towards a Sociology of Cancer Caregiving explores carers' lived experiences, paying close attention to the ways in which spouse carers manage the ambiguity that pervades their orientations to the future, their responsibilities and their emotions.

Healthcare is one of the single largest areas of expenditure in many countries, and rapidly growing. There are increasing pressures resulting from the ageing of populations, consumer demand, new treatments and shortages of both professional and informal carers. Safety and quality of care is a major driver to improve management of health information which is often fragmented both within and between most healthcare providers.

Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy considers how normative assumptions about the meanings, practices and relationships of care are embedded in our everyday lives. It explores the ways in which these shape our sense of self and the nature of our relations with others. At the same time the book examines how social policy and welfare practices construct these relations and give or deny them meaning and validity.