Remobilizing Caregiver Capabilities: A Response To Their Vulnerability

Abstract

Addressing the question of caregiver vulnerability in the care relationship may seem inappropriate or even illusory. Indeed, the common figure of the caregiver is a strong person, who is not affected by the illness and suffering of the patient; a person who does not let the discomfort and uneasiness linked to their activity show. The Covid 19 pandemic, which has marked our world in recent years, has sufficiently revealed to us that the caregiver is not a god dressed in a white/blue/pink/purple coat. Daily experience shows us that the caregiver, just like the patient, is a vulnerable being. When the caregiver is abandoned to their suffering and their vulnerability is ignored, the impact of such an experience can be harmful to the care provided. This article considers the notion of capability as a paradigm for understanding caregiver care. Following this logic, responding to the caregiver's vulnerability amounts to promoting an empowering care environment that can allow them to develop their capabilities. The capabilities approach thus reminds us of the need to take into account the moral and human aspirations of caregivers in medical practice.