Male caregivers in elderly care: The case of Nazilli

The rapid increase in the elderly population in the world causes an increase in the need for care. In the field of elderly care, although the dominant position of women still continues, it is seen that men also take responsibility for the care needs of their aging parents in recent years. However, this responsibility undertaken by men in underdeveloped and developing countries is at a lower level than in other countries. The aim of this research is to explore and analyze the experiences of men providing informal care to the elderly, as well as to understand their personal experiences and relationships with the caregiving process. The population of the study consists of male caregivers residing in Nazilli who provide care for the elderly. The sample of the study consists of 15 individuals who were reached through snowball sampling method among male caregivers providing care for the elderly in Nazilli. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used as the data collection tool. In-depth interviews were conducted with the 15 male caregivers included in the sample through this form. The data obtained from the interviews were transferred to Maxqda 2022 software and analyzed using content analysis method. As a result of the content analysis, eight categories were identified under the theme of the role of male caregivers in elderly care, including the caregiver's perception of the caregiving process, reasons for engaging in the caregiving process, motivation for being a caregiver, challenges experienced in the caregiving process, ways of overcoming challenges in the caregiving process, changes experienced by the caregiver, the relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient, and the perception of the environment towards the role of male caregivers. Within this scope, it was found that participants viewed the caregiving process as a task or responsibility in which they found fulfillment, and they evaluated the caregiving process independently of gender. The most significant reason for the emergence of the caregiving process was identified as the care recipient's inability to perform daily life activities. The main motivation for participants in becoming caregivers was found to be the desire to provide a good life for the care recipient. The most common challenge experienced by participants in the caregiving process was found to be physical difficulties. Regarding overcoming the challenges in the caregiving process, it was determined that the care recipient's income, home care allowance, and informal and formal support provided by people in the environment and professionals were effective. It was found that the caregiving process made caregivers more patient. In all participants, it was determined that the relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient was stronger compared to before the caregiving process. While most people in the caregiver's environment appreciated the presence of a male caregiver in elderly care, it was found that some individuals did not embrace the role of male caregivers and exhibited a gender-biased approach towards the caregiving process.