'Giving and giving back' at the end-of-life: Reciprocal investments between caregivers and residents in the Swiss nursing home context.

Rauber, Gabriela; Soom Ammann, Eva; Salis Gross, Corina (2021). 'Giving and giving back' at the end-of-life: Reciprocal investments between caregivers and residents in the Swiss nursing home context. International Health Trends and Perspectives, 1(1), pp. 125-138. Ryerson University 10.32920/ihtp.v1i1.1415

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The present article is based on an ethnographic research project exploring the constitution and reproduction of exchange relationships between residents and caregivers in Swiss nursing homes and elaborates on their significance within end-of-life trajectories. The results show that despite limited personnel, and time and cost constraints in old-age long-term care homes, exchange relationships are significant both in daily interactions and in the context of acute dying. Residents as well as caregivers invest in relationships that build on an informal ‘giving and giving back’. Invested goods or services in this exchange are manifold and often immaterial. The main informal investments are: 1) permitting affection and emotional involvement 2) sharing personal information, and 3) offering extra-time. Scant research exists on the reciprocal exchange in care relationships from a theoretical perspective, a gap this study sought to fill. This paper employs anthropological exchange theory to demonstrate how the exchange of these immaterial goods establishes an informal dimension of care that may influence end-of-life practices in the nursing home.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

School of Health Professions
School of Health Professions > Nursing
School of Health Professions > Nursing > Field of Innovation – Psychosocial Health

Name:

Rauber, Gabriela;
Soom Ammann, Eva0000-0003-3646-1450 and
Salis Gross, Corina

ISSN:

2563-9269

Publisher:

Ryerson University

Projects:

[UNSPECIFIED] Caring about Diversities

Language:

English

Submitter:

Luca Federico

Date Deposited:

19 Jan 2022 11:34

Last Modified:

16 May 2023 11:24

Publisher DOI:

10.32920/ihtp.v1i1.1415

Additional Information:

Date: 2021

ARBOR DOI:

10.24451/arbor.16254

URI:

https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/16254

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