Measures of outside care given and received by seniors

Selected data from Cycle 5 of the 1990 General Social Survey are presented in this study. Among other topics, this article focuses on the provision of caregiving services to the population aged 65 and over by persons outside the recipients' household. Although assistance is often received from family members, it is also provided by friends, neighbours, and other members of the community. Persons whose health was good or excellent were more likely to be caregivers than those who rated their health status as poor. However, several persons in the latter category did offer their support despite their poor health. Satisfaction with the aspects of life examined in this study did not vary markedly between caregivers and non-caregivers.