Social and Healthcare Professionals Working With Family Caregivers: Fostering Sustainable and Socially Transformative Careers

ABSTRACT In recent years, the concept of a sustainable career has evolved from an individual‐centered perspective to a relational, prosocial and community‐oriented model. Care work, traditionally marginalised and characterised by a high risk of burnout, represents a privileged context for observing this transformation. This study explores the experiences of professionals involved in the Caregiver Bergamo Project, developed by ATS Bergamo in collaboration with the ASST, the Social Territorial Districts, and the University of Bergamo. The project establishes interprofessional teams composed of social workers, family and community nurses (IFeC) and educators supporting family caregivers. The qualitative analysis of 14 interviews conducted with members of these teams identified four key dimensions of transformative sustainability: (1) Relationship and proximity as drivers of change; (2) Ethics of care and commitment to social justice; (3) Social impact and community regeneration; and (4) Identity reflection and professional development. These dimensions illustrate how caregiver teams foster practices that integrate individual well‐being, ethical responsibility, and social value, turning work experience into a collective, community‐oriented process. The caregiver team thus emerges not only as an essential support structure for those caring for dependent family members but also as a laboratory for rethinking the sustainability of careers in the social and healthcare professions.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Published
2026-07-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.70309
Primary Topic
Social Work Education and Practice
Type
article
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article

Social and Healthcare Professionals Working With Family Caregivers: Fostering Sustainable and Socially Transformative Careers

Armando Toscano, Giuseppe Scaratti, Maddalena Gambirasio, Giosuè Ruggeri
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Social Work Education and Practice
article

Social and Healthcare Professionals Working With Family Caregivers: Fostering Sustainable and Socially Transformative Careers

Armando Toscano, Giuseppe Scaratti, Maddalena Gambirasio, Giosuè Ruggeri
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, the concept of a sustainable career has evolved from an individual‐centered perspective to a relational, prosocial and community‐oriented model. Care work, traditionally marginalised and characterised by a high risk of burnout, represents a privileged context for observing this transformation. This study explores the experiences of professionals involved in the Caregiver Bergamo Project, developed by ATS Bergamo in collaboration with the ASST, the Social Territorial Districts, and the University of Bergamo. The project establishes interprofessional teams composed of social workers, family and community nurses (IFeC) and educators supporting family caregivers. The qualitative analysis of 14 interviews conducted with members of these teams identified four key dimensions of transformative sustainability: (1) Relationship and proximity as drivers of change; (2) Ethics of care and commitment to social justice; (3) Social impact and community regeneration; and (4) Identity reflection and professional development. These dimensions illustrate how caregiver teams foster practices that integrate individual well‐being, ethical responsibility, and social value, turning work experience into a collective, community‐oriented process. The caregiver team thus emerges not only as an essential support structure for those caring for dependent family members but also as a laboratory for rethinking the sustainability of careers in the social and healthcare professions.

Journal of Community & Applied Social PsychologyVol. 36(5)
University of Bergamo (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Social Work Education and Practice
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