Family Care of Older People in Europe

This volume provides a systematic cross-cultural analysis of contemporary patterns and future trends in the family care of elderly people, in all major countries of the European Union. The practical focus of the book should appeal to health and social care practitioners involved on a daily basis.

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Developing appropriate responses to an ageing population is recognized by policy makers throughout the developed world as a top priority, as is the vital contribution made by family caregivers. However, cultural, demographic and organizational differences between countries have encouraged diverse patterns of response to this common challenge. This book provides a systematic cross-cultural analysis of contemporary patterns and future trends in all major countries of the European Union. Additional interest is provided by including Poland emerging from the post- Communist block as the country at the forefront for joining the European Union. The book should be useful to European policy makers and academies involved in studying the health and social care needs of older people and the capacity, contribution and needs of family caregivers who provide care to older people. The book is also relevant for policy makers and researchers in other countries, mostly in North America and Australia who wish to study European approaches to supporting older people and family caregivers.
The practical focus of the book, which includes the use of case scenarios, means it should appeal to health and social care practitioners involved in day to day care of older people and their family caregivers. The book is not designed as a guide for individual family caregivers, more useful to those embarking on research in this area or entering the policy making field. It takes the reader to a high level of understanding and should be useful reading even for the most experienced policy maker and researcher as it provide updated insights resulting from its cross cultural approach.