Caregivers and Their Support Networks. Who Supports Whom? Different Models of Informal Networks

Increases in life expectancy mean that more elderly people require care.\r\nThis has significant implications for carers, who are typically women belonging\r\nto the so-called ‘sandwich generation’. This research, which formed part of a\r\nnational mixed-methods study conducted in Italy between 2024 and 2025,\r\naimed to identify the role of informal social relationships in supporting carers\r\nof older people. Data were collected from twenty caregiver-supporter dyads, in\r\nwhich the caregivers were aged between 50 and 65. In the first of two online\r\ninterviews, the caregivers were interviewed using social network analysis tools\r\nto identify their support networks (i.e. the network structural data). In the\r\nsecond interview, qualitative data were gathered from the caregiver and their\r\nprime supporter (for example, a spouse, relative, or friend), and evaluated using\r\nthematic and template analysis. The results emphasise the variety of caregiving\r\nnetwork models (for example, low-density large networks; high-density large\r\nnetworks; and low-density small networks) and the different roles caregivers\r\ncan play within their networks. Their role depends on the type of support their\r\nreceive. However, even caregivers situated within large functional networks may\r\nfind that their resources are insufficient. These findings suggest that open\r\nnetworks and ‘bridging social capital’ contribute to greater well-being in both\r\nthe caregivers and their supporters. Thus, promoting and preserving bridging\r\nsocial capital is crucial to enhancing the well-being of all actors involved in\r\ninformal caregiving.