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How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys

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  • Aviad Tur-Sinai

    (Department of Health Systems Management, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, 1930600 Yezreel Valley, Israel
    School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642-8404, USA)

  • Andrea Teti

    (Institute for Gerontology, University of Vechta, D-49377 Vechta, Germany)

  • Alexander Rommel

    (Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch-Institute, 10439 Berlin, Germany)

  • Valentina Hlebec

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • Giovanni Lamura

    (INRCA IRCCS—National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy)

Abstract

Informal caregivers are people providing some type of unpaid, ongoing assistance to a person with a chronic illness or disability. Long-term care measures and policies cannot take place without taking into account the quantitatively crucial role played by informal caregivers. We use the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), and the Study on Health and Ageing in Europe (SHARE) to measure the prevalence of informal caregivers in the European population, and analyze associated socio-demographic factors. This rate ranges between about 13 percent in Portugal and Spain, and more than 22 percent in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Denmark. It declines in older age groups and, on average, is lower in men than in women in all countries studied, and lower among the poorly educated compared to those with higher levels of education. However, large variance was observed in the average share of informal caregivers for most countries between the three surveys. Our findings, estimated through the three surveys, reveal common trends, but also a series of disparities. Additional research will be needed to enable policy makers to access a richer and more harmonized body of data, allowing them to adopt truly evidence-based and targeted policies and interventions in this field.

Suggested Citation

  • Aviad Tur-Sinai & Andrea Teti & Alexander Rommel & Valentina Hlebec & Giovanni Lamura, 2020. "How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:24:p:9531-:d:464955
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    1. Nicola Ciccarelli & Arthur Soest, 2018. "Informal Caregiving, Employment Status and Work Hours of the 50+ Population in Europe," De Economist, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 363-396, September.
    2. Aviad Tur-Sinai & Noah Lewin-Epstein, 2020. "Transitions in Giving and Receiving Intergenerational Financial Support in Middle and Old Age," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 765-791, August.
    3. Kaschowitz, Judith & Brandt, Martina, 2017. "Health effects of informal caregiving across Europe: A longitudinal approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 72-80.
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    5. Cristina Gagliardi & Giovanni Lamura, 2021. "Special Issue on “Advances in Socio-Economic Research on Ageing”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-6, June.
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    7. Qi Guo & Aurea Grané & Irene Albarrán, 2023. "A Global Indicator to Track Well-Being in the Silver and Golden Age," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 1057-1086, October.
    8. Maria Gabriella Melchiorre & Sabrina Quattrini & Giovanni Lamura & Marco Socci, 2022. "Role and Characteristics of Personal Care Assistants of Frail Older People with Functional Limitations Ageing in Place in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-25, March.
    9. Val Morrison & Mikołaj Zarzycki & Noa Vilchinsky & Robbert Sanderman & Giovanni Lamura & Oliver Fisher & Giulia Ferraris & Saif Elayan & Erik Buskens & Eva Bei & Anne Looijmans & Viola Angelini & Mari, 2022. "A Multinational Longitudinal Study Incorporating Intensive Methods to Examine Caregiver Experiences in the Context of Chronic Health Conditions: Protocol of the ENTWINE-iCohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-17, January.
    10. Maria Gabriella Melchiorre & Sabrina Quattrini & Giovanni Lamura & Marco Socci, 2021. "A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-35, December.

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