Family caregiving in an aging society: Key policy questions

Abstract

Abstract An aging population, attended by an increase in chronic diseases and disability, together with decrements in health among the elderly, require considerable health care resources being expended on long-term care needs in the home environment at the community level. Increase in life expectancy, and more substantially, the disproportionate increment within the very oldest age groups and in the number of elderly whose activities are limited by some sort of physical or cognitive disability have significantly increased family care needs. Such demographic shift and socioeconomic changes throughout the developed world are making elderly care an increasingly important public policy issue. Particularly, one of the principal foci of policy makers should be supporting and nurturing family care. This paper focuses on the case of Israel. Like many industrialized countries, Israel faces the challenge of caring for a growing number of vulnerable older people while advancing adequate policies to support both elderly and their informal caregivers. Currently, the demands for family caregivers has increased drastically, and, studies predict that the personal, social, and economic costs of caregiving, which have risen dramatically over the last three decades, will only continue to increase. This paper focuses on the extent to which current legislation supports primary informal caregivers in Israel. A review of the legislation and benefits has indicated that the aid supplied is limited mainly because their application is relevant only in extreme cases where the elderly need constant supervision or care in institutions. Their contribution to most elderly and their families is only partial. The rights afforded to the informal caregivers are relatively few, are limited and are all concentrated in the domain of occupational support, and this also in a restricted manner. Key message Family caregiving in an aging society: Key policy questions.