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The Linkages between Informal and Formal Care of the Elderly*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Margaret Denton
Margaret Denton
Affiliation:
McMaster University
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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report research findings from a study of the nature of the relationship between informal and formal care of the elderly. There are several explanations for the link between informal and formal care: the task specific model, the compensatory model, the substitution model, the supplementary model, and the complementary model (which combines both the compensatory and supplementary functions of formal care). These explanations were evaluated using data from the 1985 General Social Survey for those aged 65 and older who have functional disabilities. Data were analysed using logistic regression analysis. The findings show support for the complementary function of formal care. The data indicate that formal care compensates for the absence of a spouse or child and, in a minority of cases, supplements work of the spouse or child caregiver for personal care tasks and to a lesser extent housework. Of these two, the compensatory effect of formal care appears to be more prevalent than the supplemental effect.

Résumé

Cet article résume les résultats d'une recherche sur la nature des relations entre les soins officiels et officieux accordés aux aînés. Le hen entre les deux types de soins s'explique de diverses façons: le modèle rélie à la tâche, le modèle compensatoire, le modèle de substitution, le modèle supplémentaire et le modèle complémentaire (regroupant à la fois le modeèle compensatoire et les fonctions supplémentaires des soins officiels). Les explications ont été évaluées en fonction de données de l'Enquête sociale générate de 1985 concernant les personnes de 65 ans et plus ayant une invalidité fonctionnelle. On a évalué les données par analyse de régression logistique. Les résultats accordent la faveur à la fonction complémentaire des soins officiels. Selon les données, les soins officiels compensent l'absence de conjoint ou d'enfant et, dans certains cas restreints, remplacent le conjoint ou l'enfant soignant en matière de soins personnels et, dans une moindre mesure, sur le plan des tâches domestiques. Entre les deux, l'effet compensatoire des soins officiels semble primer l'effet de supplément.

Keywords

Soins non-constituéssoins constituésfourniture de soinsservices communautairesInformal CareFormal CareCaregivingCommunity Services
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , Printemps/Spring 1997 , pp. 30 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1997

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