Care Matters
Concepts, Practice and Research in Health and Social Care
This book draws upon a range of academic disciplines including sociology, social policy, psychology, history, geography, social work and nursing to address these questions. The authors consider whether shared meanings in the concept of care can still be found across differences of: family and paid care; health and social care; perspectives `carer' and `cared for'; and the experiences of different `client' groups. Commonalities are identified in the form of concerns about personal empowerment, about choice and self-esteem and about the balance needed between independence, interdependence and dependency. What also emerges is the relevance of such issues for those giving as well as receiving care.
'The impact of [the] opening chapters, all of which include the recipient's perspective, is to raise awareness of issues to be discussed later in the book. The remaining chapters take a much more theoretical approach, but again raise improtant and current issues about the nature and context of caring. Each chapter provides a clear analysis of the debate from a particular theoretical perspective.
Overall, I found the book interesting and challenging. [I]t does address very relevant and important issues and leaves the reader with a broader understanding of the nature of care and current debates about how that care should be provided. [T]he editors are able to draw out common issues and conceptualisations across a wide range of caring experiences and contexts - making the text relevant for all involved in care regardless of the context of client group. This is probably the book's main strength.
By taking this approach the editors are able to relate theory and practice in a way that will have meaning for readers from different disciplines working in a variety of different caring contexts' - Quality in Ageing - Policy, Practice and Research