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Address for correspondence: Frida Andréasson, Swedish Family Care Competence Centre, Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
In Sweden it is estimated that the number of people over the age of 65 will double before 2060 (Statistics Sweden 2015a). This has led to serious concerns among policy makers as to whether the current labour force can adequately meet the future care needs of people reaching advanced old age (Macdonald and Cooper 2007; National Board of Health & Welfare Sweden (NBHWS) 2015). In combination with financial constraints on public service budgets, older people with long-standing chronic conditions are increasingly becoming dependent on the support of their families (Eurocarers 2015; European Union (EU) 2014). Despite the fact that family members in Sweden face no legal demands to take on carer roles for relatives (NBHWS 2014), it can be seen that three-quarters of all care of older people is given informally (NBHWS 2012).
The term ‘carer’ refers to a person, such as a spouse, who provides sustained, unpaid care to a person (care-taker) requiring support (cf. Arber and Ginn 1990). Being a carer is a complex experience that develops over time. On a daily basis it may include providing practical help with, for example, instrumental activities of daily living such as supervision, social stimulation and companionship, help with contacting authorities, financial support and assistance, and even personal care (NBHWS 2012). These are activities that often have a deep impact on the cared-for person, but also on the carer's own everyday life and understanding of self. As the process of becoming a carer involves a life change caused by another person's illness or disability, caring activities should thus be seen as an identity-forming practice (Montgomery and Kosloski 2009, 2013).
At both EU and Member State levels, policy makers and researchers have recognised the need to develop more effective carer-support interventions (Carretero 2015; Carretero et al. 2012; Erlingsson, Magnusson and Hanson 2012; Eurocarers 2015; Swedish National Audit Office 2014). In combination with the rapid technological developments in recent decades, it is not surprising that new ways of supporting carers have emerged through different social networking sites (SNS). SNS is here perceived as Web-based services that enable individuals to construct a profile within a...