The meaning of burden of care in a faith-based community: the case of ultra-Orthodox Jews (UOJ)

Objectives: The context of caregiving in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community is still an uncharted field. We sought to facilitate an in-depth understanding of caregivers in Israel through their views of their position as primary caregivers, their coping mechanisms with the challenges of caregiving burden, and their unfulfilled needs. Method: Data were drawn from interviews with 28 participants, serving as primary caregivers for at least a year. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) burden of care as a universal experience, (2) the faith-based spiritual meaning of caring for parents, and (3) modest needs and expectations from the formal services–a total reliance on the familial-community service system, while there is some indication of unfulfilled needs that should be addressed by the formal service system. Conclusion: Intervening parties should be aware of the ‘cultural color,’ and not ignore the unique difficulties this population faces. Policy-makers should acknowledge the patterns of non-formal services used in this community.