Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

In this study, we review parts of the results of my thesis. The main question of this study was: How formal and informal help is given during the care of a eldery person who is staying at home and what are the consequences of this division on the different actors? The care by informal caregivers of an elderly person at home is multifactorial. We see that we do not take care of the elderly in the same way according to whether we are children or spouse, whether we are a woman or a man, according to our religion, our economic situation, our cultural background. The care of an elderly person is also an important physical and moral burden, which is not always recognized by the public authorities. In the context of informal assistance, this recognition is even more complicated because several elements come into play such as moral obligation or economic obligation. The purpose of this review is to give you an overview of informal help in France and to suggest ways of thinking about how to take a better care of elderly people and informal caregivers.