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The "Costs" of Informal Care: An Analysis of the Impact of Elderly Care on Caregivers' Subjective Well-being in Japan

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  • Niimi, Yoko

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of providing informal care to elderly parents on caregivers' subjective well-being using unique data from the "Preference Parameters Study" of Osaka University, a nationally representative survey conducted in Japan. The estimation results indicate heterogeneous effects: while informal elderly care does not have a significant impact on the happiness level of married caregivers regardless of whether they take care of their own parents or parents-in law and whether or not they reside with them, it has a negative and significant impact on the happiness level of unmarried caregivers who take care of their parents outside their home. These findings shed light on the important role that formal care services could play in reducing the burden on caregivers, particularly unmarried caregivers who presumably receive less support from family members.

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  • Niimi, Yoko, 2015. "The "Costs" of Informal Care: An Analysis of the Impact of Elderly Care on Caregivers' Subjective Well-being in Japan," AGI Working Paper Series 2015-17, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:agi:wpaper:00000082
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Lu & Fan, Hongli & Chu, Lanlan, 2019. "The hidden cost of informal care: An empirical study on female caregivers' subjective well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 85-93.
    2. Charles Yuji Horioka & Emin Gahramanov & Aziz Hayat & Xueli Tang, 2018. "Why Do Children Take Care Of Their Elderly Parents? Are The Japanese Any Different?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 59(1), pages 113-136, February.
    3. Charles Yuji Horioka & Emin Gahramanov & Xueli Tang, 2024. "The Nexus between Long-term Care Insurance, Formal Care, Informal Care, and Bequests: The Case of Japan," NBER Working Papers 32744, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. McDonald, Rebecca & Powdthavee, Nattavudh, 2018. "The Shadow Prices of Voluntary Caregiving: Using Panel Data of Well-Being to Estimate the Cost of Informal Care," IZA Discussion Papers 11545, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Niimi, Yoko, 2021. "Juggling paid work and elderly care provision in Japan: Does a flexible work environment help family caregivers cope?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Horioka, Charles Yuji & Niimi, Yoko, 2020. "Was the expansion of housing credit in Japan good or bad?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    7. Shinsuke Asakawa, 2020. "Can Child Benefits Shape Parents' Attitudes toward Childrearing in Japan?: Effects of Child Benefit Policy Expansions," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 19-04-Rev.2, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    8. Yoko Niimi, 2018. "Does providing informal elderly care hasten retirement? Evidence from Japan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 1039-1062, August.
    9. Marie Blaise & Laetitia Dillenseger, 2020. "Informal caregivers and life satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands," Working Papers of BETA 2020-55, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    10. Martinez, Sebastian & Sanchez, Raul & Yañez, Patricia, 2018. "Getting a Lift: The Impact of Aerial Cable Cars in La Paz, Bolivia," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 36, Inter-American Development Bank.
    11. Shinya Sugawara, 2022. "What composes desirable formal at-home elder care? An analysis for multiple service combinations," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 373-402, April.
    12. Le, Duc Dung & Ibuka, Yoko, 2023. "Understanding the effects of informal caregiving on health and well-being: Heterogeneity and mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Aging; Caregiving; Elderly Care; Happiness; Informal Care; Japan; Long-term Care Insurance; Parental Care; Subjective Well-being; Aging; Caregiving; Elderly Care; Happiness; Informal Care; Japan; Long-term Care Insurance; Parental Care; Subjective Well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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