When we talk about caregivers or caregiving duties, it is almost always a woman that comes to mind. It must be the maternal instinct that women in general possess but you cannot deny the fact that in a marriage, there is a man and a woman and as much as a man is vulnerable to sickness later in life, women too can get them. Just think of the movie “The Notebook”—my all-time favorite movie, if I may add.
If you are to consider the movie, it is possible that a man is capable of caring for his ailing wife. However, as the story would suggest—and throw a couple of cynics on the side—it takes one undying love for a man to stay caring for his wife until his own life ends. So where does that put us—or male caregivers for that matter?
Let me assure you that there are indeed existing male caregivers the world over, however, they tend to concentrate on hospital areas and assisted living facilities. Why? Because their masculinity are much needed in these areas than at homes, caring for their loved-ones. Furthermore, male caregivers are usually hired when the elderly in question needs frequent lifting and transferring from one place to another. They are, more or less, not needed if caregiver duties are just mild ones such as keeping track of the senior’s medication or preparing their meals. Then, there are male seniors who prefer to be handled by their own, treating their male caregivers as their companions too.
If you count the numbers, you’ll see that there is a glaring difference when it comes to male-female caregiver ratio but it doesn’t imply that men are less capable of caring for their loved-ones. They, too, can be as dedicated as a woman. Still, it can be hard for a man to assist an elderly sometimes especially when it comes to personal and intimate matters such as hygiene, that is—but not limited to–bathing and clothing.
Plus, let’s face it, when it comes to stressful, emergency situations, women are quicker to make adjustments to their work schedule and won’t mind sacrificing work if it comes to that. Whereas a male spouse is most likely to take some time thinking of his next move and end up hiring someone to do the caregiving duties for them than dropping work altogether. This should not be taken against them though, since it is unusual for men to make work adjustments for caregiving duties. Add to that the fact that there is almost non-existent work allowance given to male caregivers.
