ABSTRACT
Focusing on the embodied experiences of employed family caregivers of the elderly addresses important gaps in the geographical gerontology literature. In Canada, a rapidly aging population has made informal caregiving an increasingly important issue. Cuts in government funding, the increasing complexity of care and a shortage of health professionals have shifted responsibility for many aspects of eldercare from declining formal services to the 'community'–in other words, to families and friends. In North America, respite has long been the number one item on a family caregiver's 'wish list' of supports that are urgently needed. Even if caregivers do not hold internalized sexist beliefs, there are powerful forces in the employment sphere that make employment precarious for both female and male caregivers. In some cases caregivers have even been terminated because of their family commitment. The employment/respite space in which caregivers' bodies are situated has meaning that lies far beyond the boundaries of the four walls of a workplace.
