Family carers. 2: Sources of satisfaction among Swedish carers

This is the second of four articles about family caregiving in Sweden. The previous article in the series (Vol 8(9): 582-8) considered the difficulties and problems that carers experience, highlighting the often stressful and demanding nature of care. In contrast, this article focuses on a relatively neglected area of the caregiving literature--the potential satisfactions and rewards of care. The data suggest that sources of satisfaction are numerous and diverse and that, contrary to popular belief, the majority of carers experience some feelings of reward. While not seeking to deny the difficult aspects of caring, it is important to understand potential satisfactions if a more complete picture of the caring dynamic is to emerge.