Sammanfattning
Background: Interlinked aspects, as demographic changes, accentuation on home-based
community care, increase the amount of informal caregivers to older adults. To preserve and
enhance their health are subsequently essential and a reoccurring topic on political agendas. How
this may be achieved is vividly debated and mainly focused on elimination of risks and stresses
associated with caregiving. Within health promotion, the salutogenic approach focusing on resources
to health is recognised and this approach was used to acquire necessary knowledge to enhance
caregivers' health ‘the salutogenic way’.
Aim: To present Generalised and Specific Resistance Resources (GRRs/SRRs) described by
caregivers as stemming from themselves and their carerecipients.
Methodology: To unravel caregivers' GRRs/SRRs, a theory-driven, explorative design guided by
definitions of GRRs/SRRs was utilised. Data were collected through salutogenically guided
interviews with 32 Swedish caregivers in one municipality. Inductively, data were analysed using
content analysis to identify each caregiver's SRRs and thereafter deduction to identify the
population's GRRs.
Findings: The synthesis of findings, caregivinghood, encompasses several domains of GRRs
seemingly involved in caregivers' movements towards health. In the caregiver domain, ‘Being
someone significant in my own eyes’ unites the essence of having access to GRRs stemming from
oneself and ‘Being "blessed" with a co-operative co-worker’ that of having access to GRRs stemming
from the carerecipient. This may be the core in an orientation to life which creates positive life
experiences, since it enables caregivers to find a ‘fit’ between the possible and desired when
resolving challenges.
Conclusion and implications: Health-promoting initiatives should be conducted as partnerships
between formal and informal sources due to the versatility of GRRs. It also seems essential to
empower both parties so that they may make sense of their situation and use their available
GRRs/SRRs in this ‘joint venture’ of managing. Thereby, their motivation to continue the journey
through Caregivinghood may be enhanced. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.