The care linked to disability and dependence: practices and experiences within families

Prácticas y experiencias al interior de las familias

Abstract

Based on the contributions of care studies and disability studies, the objective of this article is to describe care practices and experiences within families in situations where disability (and dependence) breaks into the adult life. A qualitative analysis is performed based on semi-structured interviews conducted with caregivers in the City of Buenos Aires. The care of people with disabilities has great complexity and includes multiple tasks, various emotions, feelings and learning. Within families, the responsibility for this activity remains in the hands of women, with impacts on their activities, time and health. It concludes about the importance of socializing care and considering of public interest the vulnerability inherent in the human condition, in order to reduce the inequalities involved in the current distribution of this work.

KEYWORDS: Care. Disability. Dependence. Family.