Dataset Information

How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys.

ABSTRACT: Informal caregivers are people providing some type of unpaid, ongoing assistance to a person with a chronic illness or disability. Long-term care measures and policies cannot take place without taking into account the quantitatively crucial role played by informal caregivers. We use the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), and the Study on Health and Ageing in Europe (SHARE) to measure the prevalence of informal caregivers in the European population, and analyze associated socio-demographic factors. This rate ranges between about 13 percent in Portugal and Spain, and more than 22 percent in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Denmark. It declines in older age groups and, on average, is lower in men than in women in all countries studied, and lower among the poorly educated compared to those with higher levels of education. However, large variance was observed in the average share of informal caregivers for most countries between the three surveys. Our findings, estimated through the three surveys, reveal common trends, but also a series of disparities. Additional research will be needed to enable policy makers to access a richer and more harmonized body of data, allowing them to adopt truly evidence-based and targeted policies and interventions in this field.

SUBMITTER: Tur-Sinai A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7767284 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys.

Tur-Sinai Aviad A Teti Andrea A Rommel Alexander A Hlebec Valentina V Lamura Giovanni G

International journal of environmental research and public health 20201219 24

Informal caregivers are people providing some type of unpaid, ongoing assistance to a person with a chronic illness or disability. Long-term care measures and policies cannot take place without taking into account the quantitatively crucial role played by informal caregivers. We use the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), and the Study on Health and Ageing in Europe (SHARE) to measure the prevalence of informal caregivers in the European populatio ...[more]

PMID: 33352669

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Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the association between higher injury severity and increased informal caregiving received by injured older adults.Summary of background dataInjured older adults experience high rates of functional decline and disability after hospitalization. Little is known about the scope of caregiving received post-discharge, particularly from informal caregivers such as family.MethodsWe used the National Health and Aging Trends Study 2011 to 2018 linked to Medicare claims to identify adults ≥65 with hospital admission for traumatic injury and a National Health and Aging Trends Study interview within 12 months pre- and post-trauma. Injury severity was assessed using the injury severity score (ISS, low 0-9; moderate 10-15; severe 16-75). Patients reported the types and hours of formal and informal help received and any unmet care needs. Multi variable logistic regression models examined the association between ISS and increase in informal caregiving hours after discharge.ResultsWe identified 430 trauma patients. Most were female (67.7%), non-Hispanic White (83.4%) and half were frail. The most common mechanism of injury was fall (80.8%) and median injury severity was low (ISS = 9). Those reporting receiving help with any activity increased post-trauma (49.0% to 72.4%, P < 0.01), and unmet needs nearly doubled (22.8% to 43.0%, P < 0.01). Patients had a median of 2 caregivers and most (75.6%) were informal, often family members. Median weekly hours of care received pre- versus post-injury increased from 8 to 14 (P < 0.01). ISS did not independently predict increase in caregiving hours; pre-trauma frailty predicted an increase in hours ≥8 per week.ConclusionsInjured older adults reported high baseline care needs which increased significantly after hospital discharge and were mostly met by informal caregivers. Injury was associated with increased need for assistance and unmet needs regardless of injury severity. These results can help set expectations for caregivers and facilitate post-acute care transitions.

Project description:BACKGROUND: The burden of out of pocket spending for the Mexican population is high compared to other countries. Even patients insured by social security institutions have to face the cost of health goods, services or nonmedical expenses related to their illness. Primary caregivers, in addition, experience losses in productivity by taking up responsibilities in care giving activities. This situation represents a mayor economic burden in an acute care setting for elderly population. There is evidence that specialized geriatric services could represent lower overall costs in these circumstances and could help reduce these burdens.The aim of this study was to investigate economic burden differences in caregivers of elderly patients comparing two acute care services (Geriatric and Internal Medicine). Specifically, economic costs associated with hospitalization of older adults in these two settings by evaluating health care related out of pocket expenditures (OOPE), non-medical OOPE and indirect costs. METHODS: A comparative analysis of direct and indirect costs in hospitalised elderly patients (60-year or older) and their primary informal caregivers in two health care settings, using a prospective cohort was performed. Economic burden was measured by out of pocket expenses and indirect costs (productivity lost) due to care giving activities. The analysis included a two-part model, the first one allowing the estimation of the probability of observing any health care related and non-medical OOPE; and the second one, the positive observations or expenditures. RESULTS: A total of 210 subjects were followed during their hospital stay. Of the total number of subjects 95% reported at least one non-medical OOPE, being daily transportation the most common expense. Regarding medical OOPE, medicines were the most common expense, and the mean numbers of days without income were 4.12 days. Both OOPE and indirect costs were significantly different between type of services, with less overall economic burden to the caregivers of elderly hospitalized in the geriatric unit. The final model showed that type of service and satisfaction had the largest coefficients (-0.68 and 0.662 respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study allowed us to identify associated factors of economic burden in elderly hospitalized in acute care units. It opens as well, an issue that should not be overlooked in framing public policies regarding elderly health care.

Project description:BackgroundThe ongoing need for an availability of informal carers is taking on greater relevance as the global burden of disease transitions from acute fatal diseases to long term morbidity. Growing evidence suggests that extra burden on family carers may further impact on their health and ability to provide care. Important as it is to monitor the prevalence of those conditions which influence the burden of disease, it is also important to monitor the prevalence and health profiles of those who provide the informal care. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the prevalence and demographics of adult carers aged 15 and over in the state of South Australia over 20 years between 1994 and 2014.MethodsData from nine representative, cross-sectional population surveys, conducted in South Australia, Australia were used, (total N = 26,788 and n = 1,504 carers). The adjusted prevalence estimate of carers and their demographic characteristics were determined. So as to examine whether there were any generational effects on the prevalence of carers, an Age-Period Cohort (APC) analysis was undertaken.ResultsThe prevalence estimates of carers increased during the two decades from 3.7% in 1994 to 6.7% by 2014. Large increases in the proportion of retired carers, those aged 70 years and over, those carers employed, and those with higher educational qualifications were observed. There were also larger proportions of respondents with a country of birth other than Australia, UK, Ireland and European counties. The APC analysis illustrated an increasing prevalence rate over each decade for carers aged 20-80 years, especially for those over the age of 60 years.ConclusionsThe results illustrate changing carer characteristics and carer prevalence estimates in South Australia as new generations of carers take on the caring role. There is a need to include questions regarding informal carers within ongoing mainstream population surveys, particularly at state levels, so as to plan for their future health care and home support.

Project description:BackgroundThe Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey-Minimum Dataset (TOPICS-MDS) collects uniform information from research projects funded under the Dutch National Care for the Elderly Programme. To compare the effectiveness of these projects a preference-weighted outcome measure that combined multidimensional TOPICS-MDS outcomes into a composite endpoint (TOPICS-CEP) was developed based on the health state preferences of older persons and informal caregivers.ObjectivesTo derive preference weights for TOPICS-CEP's components based on health state preferences of healthcare professionals and to investigate whether these weights differ between disciplines and differ from those of older persons and informal caregivers.Materials and methodsVignette studies were conducted. Participants assessed the general wellbeing of older persons described in vignettes on a scale (0-10). Mixed linear analyses were used to obtain and compare the preference weights of the eight TOPICS-CEP components: morbidities, functional limitations, emotional wellbeing, pain experience, cognitive problems, social functioning, self-perceived health, and self-perceived quality of life (QOL).ResultsOverall, 330 healthcare professionals, 124 older persons and 76 informal caregivers participated. The preference weights were not significantly different between disciplines. However, the professionals' preference weights differed significantly from those of older persons and informal caregivers. Morbidities and functional limitations were given more weight by older persons and informal caregivers than by healthcare professionals [difference between preference weights: 0.12 and 0.07] while the opposite was true for pain experience, social functioning, and self-perceived QOL [difference between preference weights: 0.13, 0.15 and 0.26].ConclusionIt is important to recognize the discrepancies between the health state preferences of various stakeholders to (1) correctly interpret results when studying the effectiveness of interventions in elderly care and (2) establish appropriate healthcare policies. Furthermore, we should strive to include older persons in our decision making process through a shared decision making approach.

Dataset Information

How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys.

Publications

How Many Older Informal Caregivers Are There in Europe? Comparison of Estimates of Their Prevalence from Three European Surveys.

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