Spatial context and informal caregivers' Well-being: A case study of a Carer Cafe project in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper evaluates how a Hong Kong community Carer Café program reduce the informal (unpaid) caregivers’ navigation burden of social and health care service system. The cafés took place once biweekly at pantries and activity rooms of social service centers, community centers, and churches, which installed temporary decorations to create a café-like environment. his article will use the conceptual framework of spatial context, including spatial propinquity, spatial composition, and spatial configuration, to highlight four mechanisms in the process of informalization. They are (a) changing layout; (b) promoting spatial propinquity of caregivers; (c) creating a spatial composition facilitating social interaction; and (d) allowing the caregivers to use informal spaces flexibly. Qualitative data from 26 respondents, including social workers, project staff, volunteers, and users, sheds light on the details of four mechanisms. Results show that the Carer Cafés were transformed into a safe and caregiver friendly third place by the informalization process. Thus, caregivers from communities visit cafés frequently. These frequent visits facilitate the Cafés become a hub for informal caregivers access different resources and supports. This paper suggest that spatial context would be an important consideration to further explore in the future community caregiver support service practice and policy.