Abstract
Informal carers and their ways of participation in the care system in the Czech Republic
The paper aims to name the possibilities and limitations of the participation of informal carers in the long-term care system in the Czech Republic. We draw on the partial results of a qualitative study of informal carers based on the analysis of in-depth interviews with informal carers. The presentation focuses on the experience of informal carers. Current trends in our country seek a shared care model where professional services and family carers co-create a flexible range of client-oriented services. (Janečková 2020, Kalvach 2014, Průša 2021) The results of the analyses show the possibilities and limitations of caregivers' participation in direct care. The weak point of our system is the position of informal caregivers itself. There is no straight definition of informal caregivers, and social workers often don't recognise their needs. Throughout their journey and experiences, some family carers notice an urgent need to raise awareness about their group. This precarious position changes the trajectories of care. Caregivers are looking for support group participation, specifically advocacy of caregivers' interests through involvement in self-help groups, community planning and advocacy. This type of organising doesn't have a long tradition in our country, so we would like to show which patterns they use and their steps on the way.
We use ethics of care as our theoretical perspective.