Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that enable female caregivers in a depopulated agrarian region to continue providing home care and to obtain basic data to aid in determining the type of support these caregivers need to continue providing such care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 women who had been providing in-home care for a person with care needs aged 65 years or older in a depopulated agrarian region for at least 1 year. Data were analyzed using Mayring's approach to qualitative content analysis.Six categories were identified through the analysis:“effective use of in-home services”,“caregiver's ability to make time”,“having a family support system”,“having supportive people around”,“acquisition of caregiving knowledge and skills”, and“transportation options in the sparsely populated area”. These results indicate that professionals should support female caregivers in sparsely populated villages by promoting formation of friendships between caregivers and devising support methods that take into consideration local circumstances.
