Anhörigkonsulenten: att stötta de som stöttar : En kvalitativ studie om anhörigkonsulenters känslomässiga och yrkesmässiga utmaningar i arbetet med anhöriga

The purpose of this study is to investigate counselors of relatives experiences of giving carer support and how they handle emotional aspects in connections with their work with relatives. Counselors of relatives have a municipal function that provides support to relatives. Their work may include emotional and professional challenges. We have therefore spoken with counselors of relatives about their work and how they deal with challenges. We aimed to use qualitative semi-structured interviews and a participant observation to gather material for our analysis and result. With the help of previous research and Arlie Hoschschilds theory on emotional labor we aimed to gain a deeper understanding of their work. Our findings show that a family caregiver perspective (anhörigperspektivet) can help professionals understand the care needs of family members. It also suggests that professionals like counselors of relatives may need strategies to avoid workload. Furthermore, it also describes how creativity and collaboration are important to further help caregivers. Lastly we summarise our findings and discuss them.