“When a family member is ill, the entire family can suffer. Often children, spouses, and other informal caregivers provide care well before the municipality government programs do. Caring for a person with chronic health conditions can produce stress for informal caregivers, but when these caregivers receive support, they perform better and can take care of their loved ones longer. This holistic approach to care addresses the needs of informal caregivers and those for whom they provide care.

In this interview, Elizabeth Hanson discusses her publication, “The Health of Informal Caregivers.” In it she describes the importance of the wellbeing of informal caregivers. Hanson has a background in palliative nursing care and has worked in the Swedish Family Care Competence Centre since it opened in 2008. In her interview with ACCESS Health’s Sofia Widén, Hanson describes the complexities of maintaining the health and wellbeing of informal caregivers. She also talks about the influences of factors such as gender, education, and socioeconomic circumstances in informal caregiving. In her book, Hanson considers the holistic experience and process of informal caregiving as key determinants of caregiver health.