Abstract
This study aims at investigating to what extent inequalities in the use of formal, informal and privately paid care have changed over time. Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) was used from three points in time (1995, 2005 and 2015) that capture distinct periods in the recent development of the Dutch long-term care system. In particular, the reforms of 2007 and 2015 might have impacted care uses. All participants (N = 1810) were living at home and between the age of 75 and 85 at measurement. The results indicate that, adjusted for health and partner status, formal, informal and privately paid care have decreased over time. Socioeconomic differences in informal care use have increased over time, but no change was found for privately paid or formal care use. These findings suggest that changes in the LTC system and long-term care resources in particular benefit lower socioeconomic groups.
Highlights
In many western nations, the population ages rapidly: life expectancy has consistently increased throughout the 20th century and continues to increase further
The results indicate that lower socio-economic status (SES) groups are consistently more likely to use formal and informal care, and less likely to use privately paid care compared to higher SES groups
The findings of this study imply that there is an overall trend towards a decreasing proportion of individuals who use LTC, but that socio-economic inequalities remain largely consistent across the three time periods with only informal care decreasing more steeply among those with higher education
Summary
The population ages rapidly: life expectancy has consistently increased throughout the 20th century and continues to increase further. In 1960, less than 9 per cent of the population was above 65 years old, compared to more than 17 per cent in 2017 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2020). As a result of population ageing, it becomes Informal care has been recognised as a key element to compensate cutbacks in formal care provision (Zigante, 2018)
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