Conclusion: Asking the Right Questions

The dyadic relation between a person in need and a person who provides help is one of the core elements of care. Nonetheless, identifying core elements of care alone cannot supply simple solutions to the challenges that are rooted in the ambivalences and tensions of the notion of care in healthcare. Care practices are extensive, situated, and complex. Questions concerning ambivalences and tensions within care include: Can care practices include coercion? Is care compatible with exclusion? Can it be passive or invisible? Can it be incorporated into standardised and regulated routines? Can care and its vocabulary be adjusted to clinical procedures and medical terminology?