The needs of informal caregivers: a study in the field of aging

Study in the area of aging on the needs of informal caregivers, research resulting from a partnership between the Santa Casa da Misericórdia and the Center for Territorial Studies of ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Embedded in a strategy of innovation and qualification of the social responses of the Misericórdia of Lisbon, this publication aims to deepen the understanding of the social reality of elderly people supported by the services of Santa Casa, as well as the difficulties, needs, and expectations of their caregivers. Analyzing how formal and informal care for elderly people is articulated, the study offers a valuable contribution to a greater understanding of the functions and activities of caregivers, as well as the implications of the social role they play in their daily lives. It includes a systematization of national and foreign literature on the issue of informal caregivers and presents the social policies and support services for the elderly in Portugal. It also contains a detailed sociodemographic analysis of caregivers and the cared-for individuals, and, because the future must be thought of today, it integrates a prospective analysis of the needs of informal caregivers.

Authors: Ana Romão; Andreia Pereira; Filomena Gerardo

Year of publication: 2008
Publisher: SCML
ISBN: 9789728761294