Conflict over the grey areas: District nurses and home helps providing community care

Abstract

Policies of providing care for dependent groups including the elderly have a specific impact on women. This paper examines the conflict that has arisen between two groups of predominantly female workers (district nurses and home helps) over who should provide personal care for frail elderly people. The paper concludes that the conflict relates not so much to the professional skills needed for nursing care of frail elderly people but to the labour market position of women in general and of nurses and home helps in particular.