Applying feminist, multicultural, and social justice theory to diverse women who function as caregivers in end-of-life and palliative home care

• Published in: Palliative & supportive care 2009-12, Vol.7 (4), p.501-512
• Main Author: Mackinnon, Christopher J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Chronic illnesses; Cultural Diversity; Female; Feminism; Gender; Gender Identity; Home health care; Humans; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Palliative care; Palliative Care - psychology; Social Justice; Terminally Ill; Trends; Women; Women - psychology
• ISSN: 1478-9515; 1478-9523
• DOI: 10.1017/S1478951509990514

Women are largely responsible for providing care to terminally ill family members at home. The goal of this review is to conceptualize diverse women's experiences in palliative home care from feminist, multicultural, and social justice perspectives. Peer-reviewed manuscripts were identified using the following databases: CIMAHL, psycINFO, and pubMED. The following search terms were used: women/mothers/daughters, Caregiving, family caregivers, feminism, culture, multiculturalism, and palliative home care. Article reference lists were also reviewed. The majority of penitent articles which formed the basis for the arguments presented were drawn from nursing, medicine, and counseling psychology scholarship. The application of feminist, multicultural, and social justice theory brings to attention several potential issues female caregivers may experience. First, there exist diverse ways in which women's Caregiving is manifested that tend to correspond with variations in culture, relationship, and age. Second, it is important to attend to changing expectations placed on women as a result of Caregiving at the end of life. Third, the changing power dynamics women may experience in end of life Caregiving are very complex. The principle finding of the review was the highlighting of potential risks that culturally diverse female caregivers are likely to face at the end of life. The application of social justice theory provides a number of implications for practice and policy. Specifically, the identifying significant concerns regarding female caregivers in palliative home care, as well as suggesting ways to appropriately attend to these concerns, and oppression of women is less likely to be perpetuated, specific areas for future research in this domain are identified.