The lived experience of daughters caring for biological fathers in their own home – A phenomenological study
What is the purpose of the research?
This study is being carried out as part of my studies at NSPC Ltd and Middlesex University.
The research aims to explore and understand the lived experience of daughters who are caring for their frail elderly biological fathers, in the fathers own home.
Specifically, the research is interested in carers ‘everyday lived experience’, what sense they make of it, what it ‘means’ to them and to explore being a ‘carer’ for a father, as part of that person’s life as a whole, rather than focusing on what ‘others’ might say is important about being a carer or investigating specific aspects of ‘caring’ or being a ‘carer’ that are not related to personal experience, for example benefits payments.
This study is being conducted because there have been few in-depth, high quality studies, focusing on the lived experience of carers conducted in the United Kingdom, over the last twenty years and because most studies focus on daughters caring for mothers, rather than daughters caring for fathers, as participants.
Eligibility for participation
1. Daughters caring for frail elderly biological fathers in their own home
2. Carers will be over 45yrs of age and their fathers over 75 yrs of age
3. They have identified as a carer for over 18 months and provide daily/weekly support with
shopping, cleaning, personal care and finance, alone, with other family and/or alongside
other ‘funded’ carers
4. That daughters caring for fathers will be ‘unpaid’ apart from expenses
5. Carers will live less than 15miles away from their fathers
6. Carers are happy to share and reflect their lived experience as a carer and contribute to
the study
7. The study is hoping to recruit participants from Somerset/The South West in the first
instance but may widen the geography if appropriate
8. Exclusions: diagnosis of “Alzheimers” and “terminal illness”
If you are interested in taking part, please see further details: Recruitment poster v0.6 24.08.25