Posted by J. Dietrich Stroeh, June 4, 2013 at 12:00 pm
The world of caregiving - typically an act performed predominantly by women - has changed. More than 40 percent of informal care givers are men and over half of them work full-time outside the home.
According to a recent article in Florida’s Sun-Sentinel, while male givers face hard challenges just like anyone else tending to a family member with a debilitating or terminal illness men may face those challenges in different ways than women and require different kinds of help. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Over the decades research has shown that men and women process issues and concerns differently. Men tend to focus on the pragmatic elements, such as medications and doctors, whereas women pay a great deal more attention to emotional needs and socialization. So extending that understanding to the world of caregiving is easy to do.
Generally, men don’t talk about what troubles them and, in many cases, women may be better multi-taskers. However, studies also show that men who get the support they need – often from other men – can develop important coping skills that can dramatically improve the quality of their caretaking skills AND the quality of their lives and the loved ones they are tending.
Because I personally found talking with other men to be helpful, I did some research that could help male caregivers looking for camaraderie with other men. Here are a few websites I came across that offer a range of resources and support-related opportunities for men:
