Affiliation:
1. University of Messina, Italy
2. University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria, Italy
3. University of Catania, Italy
Abstract
In the chapter, the authors will address the delicate role played by caregivers of older adults, discussing the close interaction between caregivers' wellbeing and care recipients' health status. After a brief introduction on the complexity of aging trajectories, the authors will focus on the experiences of assistance to elderly people by formal and informal caregivers, by indicating the main objectives according to the degree and nature of the medical condition. The central topic of the chapter will be the risk of developing a care-related burden by the caregivers, with negative consequences on the caregiver's wellbeing, as well as on the caregiver-patient relationship. In this perspective, the authors will highlight in detail the potential impact on the caregiver burden of peculiar functional and psychological factors exhibited by older care recipients.