Abstract
Since the 1990s, the West European welfare states have extended public social services and social rights for senior citizens in need of care. They have also started to support family members more in their caring role. The unpaid, informal care done by (mostly female) spouses or adult children of the frail elderly people has been transformed into forms of family care that are paid for by state programs such as ‘cash-for-care’ or by municipalities, and which connected to some degree also with employment rights. As a consequence, also the ways in which welfare states construct the relationship between family members has changed to some degree. So far, there is relatively little research about welfare state policies towards senior care by family members. This paper introduces a typology of ‘family care regimes’ in the field of care for senior citizens, which can be used as a theoretical framework for cross-national analyzes of welfare state institutions which are framing the work situation of caring family members and their relationship with the care recipients in family care. It also is analyzed how far the different types of the family care regime are connected with tensions.
Highlights
Until the late 20th Century, care was usually unpaid, informal and done by spouses or adult children, mainly daughters, of the frail elderly people
Less attention has been given to change in welfare state policies towards informal care work within that family members provide for other members of their family, like spouses or parents
The unpaid, informal care done by spouses or adult children of the frail elderly people has been substantially transformed into forms of care by family members paid for by state programs such as ‘cash-for-care’ or by municipalities
Summary
Until the late 20th Century, care was usually unpaid, informal and done by (mostly female) spouses or adult children, mainly daughters, of the frail elderly people. In the new care policies of the West European welfare states, long-term care for elderly people as far as it is provided by their relatives is no longer informal, unpaid and hidden in the family context Instead, these welfare states have introduced new paid forms of care work by family members which are semi-formal or formal, paid and connected with elements of social security in the context of welfare state programs (Pfau-Effinger, Och & Frericks, 2013). According to a comparative policy analyzes of the legal framework of paid care by family members, the author of this article and co-authors found, that in Denmark new forms of formal care by family members were introduced which are based on a formal employment relationship that the municipalities offer for people who provide care work for a senior relative (PfauEffinger, Jensen and Och, 2013).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
