Fictive Kinship and Formal Care: A Study of Home Health Aides and Social Support

Professional caregiving has been examined from the perspective of home healthcare workers as "fictive kinship." Many caregivers go far beyond the duties they are paid for and invest both their time and their emotional assets into their clients, creating a need for social support outside the client-caregiver relationship. This Edgren Scholars study, conducted throughout the spring and summer of 2016 by Professor Peggy Kendall and communication studies student Krista Jolivette, analyzes the role of fictive kinship and social support from family members within the job of the home health aide.