title: Family Carers' Perspectives on Integrated Community Care in the Czech Republic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The problem of family care for people dependent on another person has only recently become a focus of research. As demand for health and social services has not been adequately met by public service providers, growing attention has been given to informal care and the integration of families within systems of health and social care at the community level. This paper presents the results of a survey on informal carers' views and opinions under the current conditions of social support in the Czech Republic. The survey was based on theoretical concepts of caring societies, deinstitutionalization, refamilization, and integrated community care, and aimed to shed light on caring families' experiences and needs in the Czech Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family lay carers completed an original self-administered questionnaire. A convenient sample of 200 family carers was selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey collected information about the most influential factors in determining whether the families continue to provide care for their relatives in the household. More than 50% of the caregivers provide care from moral and emotional reasons. Financial problems, risk of losing their jobs, and further deterioration of health of the person they care for emerged as key risk factors, but overall, determination among carers to continue providing care "at any cost" was high (53%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Involving local communities and services, e.g. general practitioners (GPs) to a greater extent in the coordination of various social and health services, and in support mechanisms at the juncture between informal and formal care would make it easier for family carers to continue providing long-term care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pastoral and Social Work, Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Křížová
authors.affiliation: Department of Pastoral and Social Work, Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Janečková
authors.affiliation: General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jaromír
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Běláček
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D018153:Czech Republic; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: care allowance; community based integrated health and social care; dependent people; disability; elderly; informal caregiving