[Elderly patients requiring help and nursing care: instrumental support by chief caregiver and professional helping...

The study "Chances and Limits of Independent Living in Old Age" ("MUGSLA") interviewed 1092 frail people (60 years and older), as well as 406 of their primary caregivers. This paper examines the intensity of help provided, size and composition of task support networks, level of distress, and changes experienced by the primary caregiver as a result of taking care of the elderly. We also analyze which conditions support the inclusion of formal providers. The main results of the study are: the lower the functional status of the frail person the more likely they are taken care of by a primary caregiver. Assistance for the elderly is mainly provided by family members. Professional providers are part of the support system when the degree of need of care is extremely high and/or the primary caregiver reported extremely high levels of burden. We found that lack of information about services only partly explains the low rate of service utilization. Their role as caregiver affects virtually all areas of life.