Professional Listeners: Caregiver Narratives and Social Support

• In Event: Communication and Aging Division: Competitive paper II -- Social support, caregiving and aging

Abstract

Six spousal caregivers were interviewed multiple times in one community. The caregivers were served by new Older American’s Act program.Narratives were analyzed using a phenomenological approach and descriptions of social support and specialized audience were developed. The study included a survey of participants in the caregiver program and the author’s description of the senior service network serving the same population. The connection between Fisher’s narrative paradigm and the professional listener’s role is discussed.

Author

• Karen Sodowsky, Valdosta State Univ