[Informal care; a critical observation]

In this article the policy aimed at cutting down expenses for professional care and at optimizing the contribution of informal, unpaid care (e.g. family caregivers and volunteers) is questioned. After a brief outline of the non-professional care system for the elderly, some problematic aspects of informal care are discussed, especially the influence of such care in terms of (over)burden, the quality of care and the consequences for the relationship between caregiver and person being cared for. Voluntary services are also questioned, particularly the lack of control, the power of volunteers and their knowledge, attitude and skills. It is concluded that expectations towards nonprofessional caregivers should not be too great. The importance of a finely tuned coordination and clear division of tasks in the care network is underlined. Finally a number of recommendations is made to settle the observed bottlenecks.