[Need for care. The role of family care in long-term care]

[Gender-related aspects of family caregiving]

Most people in need of care and assistance are currently still being cared for at home by family members. The majority of family caregivers are women. However, the percentage of men assuming the role of main caregiver at home is increasing. This may point to a change in the distribution of caregiving within the family. The health-related and social stresses and strains affecting cargiving persons also show gender-specific differences and are experienced more frequently and with a higher intensity by female caregivers than caregiving men. Men approach the challenge of caring differently to women and also organize care differently to female family caregivers. Although a high percentage of those providing informal care to family members at home are now men, this fact is hardly appreciated by society. In the specialist literature, caring men are often seen from the perspective of women. This article aims to portray gender-specific perspectives concerning the situation of providing informal care and assistance to elderly people and the stresses and strains that are associated with it.

[What information do people needing care and their care-giving relatives need?]

BACKGROUND

The recent reform of the German Care Insurance Law (2008) was expanded to include independent consultancy for care issues. The goal of this study was to explore the informational needs of people in need of care and their informal caregivers.

METHOD

A semi-structured questionnaire was used to document 89 consultation conversations. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The findings identified that information was needed about (1) the German health care insurance system, (2) access to care, (3) local care services, and (4) situation and disease-specific concerns.

CONCLUSION

Consultancy services for people in need of care and informal caregivers require detailed knowledge about local care services and, therefore, should be integrated into the neighborhoods of the users.