Resources and their meaning for caregivers--a gap in research? Health sociological and empirical approach to a hitherto neglected field of research

Family caregiving changes everyday life. Caregivers deal with the new situation in different ways and they feel more or less stressful. Actually there is little knowledge about possible causes of this situation. But there is an assumption that using varied resources and coping strategies lead to differences in health outcomes and well-being. As caregiving is a phase of life with special stressors, the caregiver needs specific resources to cope with these requirements. According to Antonovsky (1997) and Hobfoll (1989), this research asks which resources caregivers poses and use to deal with the unusual situation. On the basis of a salutogenetic and resource-orientated theoretical approach and additional qualitative analysis of interviews important resources for caregivers will be identified. The results lead on the one hand to the construction of an assessment instrument and on the other hand facilitate nurses to get to know more about the individual approach of resources and their specific meaning for caregivers.