Abstract
Notes that the contexts in which caregivers work shape the kinds of relationships they develop with those under their care. Suggests that it is possible to map these contextual features on a continuum with detached professionalism and involved familialism representing the extremes. Claims that nursing home staff are more akin to family members in their relationships with residents than are other professional caregivers who work in acute care settings. Sketches possible implications as to how recognizing and responding to these relational dynamics may influence specific modes of care.
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