Care & Support – Straight From The Heart

"Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around" says Leo Buscaglia.

New generation is changing its behavior very fast. The couple is rather restricting to marry first of all. If they agree they ignore having child. Being in another stage of life stops every one once. Other than bringing up child, this question arises also in care of old aged family members. However this is not arguable. As time changes, it changes minds of people too. The factor that needs to be understood is – CARE. Building a home is just four letters far from building house. CARE. This is a trial to understand ‘Family Care’. What does it ask for? Nothing precious.

Care In Other Ways

After research Bowers outlined five distinct but overlapping types of care.

Anticipatory Care
Preventive Care
Supervisory Care
Instrumental Care
Protective Care
Preservative Care
Constructive Care
Reciprocal Care

Anticipatory Care – ‘I would like to build a home in peaceful and equipped area so that my family does not get into any trouble." Any care taken considering future or in advance is called anticipatory care. Human’s major life decisions are types of anticipatory care.

Preventive Care – "I avoid taking cigarettes, wine or fat foods. Doctor has prescribed me to take little care at this age." Any care taken considering very known or observable future is called preventive care. You cannot observe directly any anticipatory need. The distance of time differs both the cares.

Supervisory Care – "I told you not to ride bike without wearing helmet". A caretaker intervenes and supervises behavior of care receiver who tries to ignore or be little unaware.

Instrumental Care- Need for direct assistance increases. Previous research and intervention are needed.

Protective Care – It is difficult for care taker to maintain self-esteem of cared for. Don’t let cared for person realize that his or hers failing abilities. This care is most difficult, most stressful but most important.

Till this stage, family can take care of the cared for. But with preservative care, the nursing staff and medical disciplines start functioning.

Here ‘carers’ or ‘care-givers’ may be family members, friends or neighbors. "More women than men take on a caring role " say Payne and Ellis-Hill. Other care studies include studies from Finch & Mason, Lewis & Meredith, Conway-Turner & Karasik, and Ellis.

Social Support as Care

"When people are asked to remember a person who meant a lot to them in life — a teacher, a friend, a parent, a grandparent — they usually remember a person who really cared and understood them. Think back in your own life. Was there someone who stands out in your memory because they really cared about you?" - Doc Childre

Care and social support are no different terminology to me.

Cobb defines Social support as information leading individuals to believe they are cared for and loved, esteemed and valued, and belong to a network of communication and mutual obligation.

Social affiliation refers to an individual’s system of mutual obligations and reciprocal help with other individuals and institutions.

Several different types of social support have been identified. They function in different ways and may involve ‘doing for’ the cared-for person, encouraging activity in others, taking responsibility or just ‘being there’ for others.

The following list defines key types of social support:

1. Informational support refers to the provision of knowledge relevant to the situation the individual is experiencing.

2. Tangible support refers to specific activities that others provide which are perceived to be helpful.

3. Emotional support is the perceived availability of thoughtful, caring individuals who can share thoughts and feelings.

4. Affirmatory or validatory support is given when others acknowledge the appropriateness of a person’s beliefs and feelings.

Anyway care starts from us and ends to infinite world. The important is to understand love for self and love for others. Don’t take care as burden from mind but take it as love from heart.

Doc Childre suggests "The more care you put into your life, the more life will care for you, bringing you fun adventures, great friends, and real inner security."