title: [The role of informal care in individualized care plan delivery: a conditional choice for dependent people].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and health variables (including informal care) and the healthcare service delivery assigned in the individualized care plan.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of the dependent population in Cuenca (Spain) in February, 2009. Information was obtained on people with level II and III dependency. Four different logistic regression models were used to identify the factors associated with the care service delivery assigned in the individualized care plan. Independent variables consisted of age, gender, marital status, annual income, place of residence, health conditions, medical treatment, and perception of informal care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 83.7% of the sample was assigned economic benefits and 15.3% were assigned services. Eighty percent of the sample received informal care in addition to dependency benefits. People who received informal care were 3239 times more likely to be assigned economic benefits than persons not receiving informal care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the period analyzed (the first phase of the implementation of the Dependency Act), the variables associated with receiving economic benefits (versus services) were being married, having a high annual income, the place of residence (rural areas versus urban area), and receiving hygiene-dietary treatment and informal care.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análisis Económico y Finanzas, Centro de Investigación en Estudios Sociosanitarios, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, España. raul.delpozo@uclm.es
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Pozo Rubio
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Escribano Sotos
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moya Martínez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D005378:Financial Support; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain