The Caregiver Support Ratio in Europe: Estimating the Future of Potentially (Un)Available Caregivers

Ribeiro, Oscar and Araújo, Lia and Figueiredo, Daniela and Paúl, Constança and Teixeira, Laetitia (2021) The Caregiver Support Ratio in Europe: Estimating the Future of Potentially (Un)Available Caregivers. Healthcare, 10 (1). p. 11. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

The caregiver support ratio (CSR) is defined as the number of potential caregivers aged 45–64 years, the most common caregiving age range, for each person aged 80+, the subgroup of older adults most at risk of needing long-term services and support. This study uses data from the CENSUS HUB database and from the UN database to calculate the current (last year available: 2011) and projected (2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050) CSR for a group of European countries. Mediterranean countries, France, Belgium, and Sweden presented the lowest CSR (5:1) in 2011. The countries with the highest CSR were Slovakia (9:1) and Ireland, Poland, Cyprus, and Malta (8:1). The estimated CSR is expected to progressively decline from 6:1 (2011) to 2:1 (2050) for all countries. Although differences in the CSR exist between countries, the number of people aged 45–64 who are available to care for each person aged 80+ will decrease uniformly in the coming decades. Cross-national challenges for gerontological social policies and healthcare provision are expected due to the increasing demand for long-term care among the oldest population.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: caregivers; long-term care; oldest old; health services for the aged
Subjects: European Scholar > Medical Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 08 Nov 2022 04:32
Last Modified: 26 Sep 2023 05:43
URI: http://article.publish4promo.com/id/eprint/63

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