Caregiving as Coordination Work: The Psychological Load of Organising Family Support
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Family caregiving is often described in terms of time, practical tasks, emotional labour and financial strain. Yet an important part of the role is less visible: organising help across appointments, services, relatives, employers and changing household demands. This note proposes treating coordination work as a distinct, measurable component of caregiving rather than assuming it is captured by hours of hands-on care. Drawing on the established caregiver stress-process framework and contemporary US survey evidence, it identifies how unpredictability, responsibility without authority and repeated administrative negotiation may contribute to psychological strain. It then outlines practical questions for research and service design. The argument is conceptual, not an estimate of the size or causal effect of coordination burden. Its purpose is to make an overlooked form of caregiving work more visible and testable.
DOI: 10.17613/znzst-6tk52
Author: Fatemeh Hajiali
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7224098678