“You have got to get off your backside; otherwise, you’ll never get out”: older male carers’ experiences of loneliness and social isolation

Loneliness is framed as an enduring problem for carers of all ages, including older carers; however, there is little examination of older men’s experiences of caring, loneliness and social isolation. Based on interviews with 25 men (aged 68–92 years), we discuss findings from a study of older male c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of care and caring 2020-08, Vol.4 (3), p.311-330
Main Authors: Willis, Paul, Vickery, Alex, Symonds, Jon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autonomy
Caregivers
Carers
Loneliness
Male Caring
Males
Men
Older men
Older people
Social Isolation
Support groups
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Summary:Loneliness is framed as an enduring problem for carers of all ages, including older carers; however, there is little examination of older men’s experiences of caring, loneliness and social isolation. Based on interviews with 25 men (aged 68–92 years), we discuss findings from a study of older male carers’ experiences of loneliness in England. Within their accounts, loneliness is framed as a future, rather than present, problem as caring provides a time-limited buffer to loneliness while concurrently increasing social isolation. Further, the findings shed light on how male carers seek and benefit from carers’ support groups while also maintaining autonomy.
ISSN:2397-8821
2397-883X
DOI:10.1332/239788220X15912928956778