Svenja Wirries is working on a dissertation on ‘(In)formal care networks in rural areas’. Her research focuses on family carers of people in need of care aged 65+ and relief and support options for family carers. Svenja Wirries completed a Master's degree in Gerontology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and a Bachelor's degree in Social Gerontology at Staatliche Studienakademie Breitenbrunn, BA Sachsen. Until 2024, she worked in inpatient integration assistance for people with chronic mental illness, where her research focuses on the compatibility of care and employment as well as support for caring relatives. Her research interests lie in the areas of ageing, informal care and social policy.
Contact: svenja.wirries@tu-dortmund.de
Potentials and challenges from the point of view of informal caregivers
The care for older people in need of care is largely provided by family carers. Social developments (increasing geographical distance between family members) and infrastructural characteristics (less developed infrastructure of nursing, social and medical care services) in rural areas pose a particular challenge for the successful provision of nursing care in rural areas. (In)formal care networks are therefore of particular importance for the provision of care to older people in rural areas.
The dissertation aims to investigate how (in)formal care networks are organised in rural areas in the Hannover region - in particular, what needs, requirements and wishes informal carers and people in need of care (65+) have in rural areas in the Hannover region. Qualitative research methods will be used to analyse care networks in rural areas in the Hannover Region. To this end, expert interviews will be conducted with professionals. Informal home carers, people in need of care and other carers from care networks will then be interviewed using Witzel's problem-centred interview method. The interviews will be analysed using Mayring's qualitative content analysis.