# Socio-community care of people with disabilities: Experiences of caregivers living in south-central zone of Chile

## TL;DR

This study explores how caregivers in Chile experience building socio-community care for people with disabilities, highlighting the challenges and the need for better state support.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a situated feminist perspective on socio-community care, emphasizing the role of women caregivers and community self-organization.

## Key findings

- Caregivers identified two main worlds: the system (health, education, work) and life (family, friends, community).
- Women bear significant responsibility in sustaining socio-community care for people with disabilities.
- Comprehensive care systems are urgently needed with greater state involvement.

## Abstract

Care involves unequal relationships between gender, corporal conditions and responsibilities. This is especially sensitive for the participation and socio-community inclusion of people with disabilities and their caregivers.

To analyze the perceptions of caregivers regarding the construction of socio-community care for people with disabilities in the south-central Zone of Chile.

Qualitative study from a situated feminist perspective. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with women caregivers of people with disabilities during the years 2021–2022. The interviews were based on qualitative thematic analysis.

The analysis revealed two central categories and six emerging subcategories: a) The world of the system; a.1) Health and rehabilitation, a.2) Education, a.3) Work, and b) The world of life; b.1) Family, b.2) Neighbors and friends, b.3) Community organizations. Socio-community care is a system of action and links that are woven between “The world of the system” and “The world of life” to sustain existence. They are a provision of support and assistance from public institutions and communities.

Socio-community care is built with a lot of effort and exhaustion on the part of the families of people with disabilities, especially by women. Of particular importance is the responsibility and self-organization of communities to meet the needs and care of persons with disabilities. Hence the urgency to develop comprehensive care systems where the State takes greater and better responsibility.