[Symposium The future of informal care]

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Gerontology
• Sociology

Background:

• Long-term care reforms in 2015 increased reliance on social networks for care.
• An aging population will double the number of individuals over 75 by 2050.
• The demand for informal care necessitates resilience and organizational skills from families and support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the future provision of informal care amidst demographic shifts and policy changes.
• To identify key determinants and outcomes of informal care, including social inequality.
• To understand the implications for caregiving in the coming decades.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of trends in informal caregiving and population demographics.
• Discussion of social inequality as a factor in care provision.
• Symposium findings on future informal care challenges and solutions.

Main Results:

• The number of informal caregivers is projected to decrease while the elderly population grows.
• Care arrangement capabilities ('can & can-nots') are becoming as crucial as resources ('have & have-nots').
• Older employees providing care benefit from flexible work arrangements, though not universally available.

Conclusions:

• Future caregiving will rely on spouses and children, requiring robust support networks.
• Collaboration between informal caregivers and professionals can be enhanced by recognizing shared perspectives.
• Informal caregiving increases risks of overburden and work absence, disproportionately affecting women, spouses, migrants, and younger carers.