title: Do informal caregivers for elderly in the community use support measures? A qualitative study in five European countries.
abstract: Informal caregivers are essential figures for maintaining frail elderly at home. Providing informal care can affect the informal caregivers' physical and psychological health and labour market participation capabilities. They need support to prevent caregiver burden. A variety of existing support measures can help the caregiver care for the elderly at home, but with some limitations. The objective of this review was to explore the experiences of informal caregivers caring for elderly in the community with the use of supportive policy measures in Belgium and compare these to the experiences in other European countries.
  
  
  
  An empirical qualitative case study research was conducted in five European countries (Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Germany). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with informal caregivers and their dependent elderly. Interview data from the different cases were analysed. In particular data from Belgium was compared to data from the cases abroad.
  
  
  
  Formal services (e.g. home care) were reported to have the largest impact on allowing the caregiver to care for the dependent elderly at home. One of the key issues in Belgium is the lack of timely access to reliable information about formal and informal services in order to proactively support the informal caregiver. Compared to the other countries, informal caregivers in Belgium expressed more difficulties in accessing support measures and navigating through the health system. In the other countries information seemed to be given more timely when home care was provided via care packages.
  
  
  
  To support the informal caregiver, who is the key person to support the frail elderly, fragmentation of information regarding supportive policy measures is an important issue of concern.
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. evi.willemse@thomasmore.be.|Thomas More University College, Turnhout, Belgium. evi.willemse@thomasmore.be.
authors.forename: Evi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willemse
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sibyl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anthierens
authors.affiliation: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE), Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Farfan-Portet
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique De Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique De Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macq
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bastiaens
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.|Thomas More University College, Turnhout, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tinne
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dilles
authors.affiliation: University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Remmen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D005791:Patient Care; D000072858:Psychosocial Support Systems; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: (Family) caregivers; Continuity of care; Long term care; Primary care; Support