Gender roles affect the care of older people

Lamprini Xiarchi has been one of fifteen doctoral students in the EU-funded InnovateDignity research project. The main aim of the project was to train a new generation of researchers to address challenges related to dignity in older people care. For her part of the project, Lamprini Xiarchi interviewed nurses in Greece and also used interviews conducted in Sweden by Maria Claesson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Borås. The picture of caregiving that emerges from the interviews shows that it includes physical, emotional, and existential perspectives. Caregiving is also not an isolated process; both parties involved in care are influenced by the surrounding society. 

Barriers for health workers

In the interviews, it became clear how norms around gender in particular but also age and authority have an impact. This was something that surprised Lamprini Xiarchi. 

“Gender plays a significant but often unspoken role in shaping caring relationships. Women are frequently expected to take on more of the hands-on and emotionally intensive caregiving. At the same time, societal norms around masculinity can create barriers for male caregivers. One example is intimate care situations, where it can be uncomfortable for both the care professional and older individuals,” explained Lamprini Xiarchi, who urges caregivers to be sensitive to gender issues to ensure quality care. 

Ethical dilemmas in caregiving

The distinction between formal and informal caregiving – that carried out by close relatives, for example – can also complicate care. 

“In contexts where it is traditionally the family that cares for older people, there can be ethical tensions and ambiguity about roles.” 
The results of her studies have led to discussions both inside and outside academia. Some organisations have shown interest in the significance of Lamprini Xiarchi's findings to the promotion of caregiving practices that are more inclusive and culturally sensitive.  

“There is a growing interest in integrating these insights into nursing education, to better prepare future nurses for the complexities of balancing professionalism with familiarity and empathy,” said Lamprini Xiarchi, who wants to continue researching the topic. 

Lamprini Xiarchi defended her thesis Caring for Older Persons: Phenomenological Insights into the Lived Experiences of Nurses and Nursing Students in Greece and Sweden, on 19 December at the University of Borås. 

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The thesis Caring for Older Persons: Phenomenological Insights into the Lived Experiences of Nurses and Nursing Students in Greece and Sweden

Project InnovateDignity