Informal Long-term Care from a Socioeconomic and Social Policy Perspective

Against the background of an ageing society, accompanied by growing care needs that cannot sufficiently be met by professional care services, informal long-term care (performed by relatives, spouses or friends) gains importance. This project examines 1) the gender-unequal distribution of informal long-term elderly care provision and its consequences for our society, 2) coping strategies informal caregivers develop to manage the often burdensome care situation, and 3) spatial and infrastructural factors that are tightly connected to the care situation and can largely vary between urban and rural areas.