Scopus scopus - exported 1/8/16

An increase in the ageing UK population is leading to new ways of looking at how we deliver health and social care services in the UK. The use of assisted living technology (ALT) and telecare is already playing a part in these new models of care. Yet despite the current advances in the range of technology and networking capabilities in the home, ALT and telecare solutions have not been taken up as eagerly as might have been anticipated.

Research has repeatedly shown that a large number of independently living oldest elderly are cared for by family members, friends or neighbours. This care is given either in combination with professional home care or without and it obviously reduces the financial burden for the state's health and social security system. Several authors suggest that, although very high levels of informal care are still present in Europe, this pattern will change in the near future. In view of monitoring the trends, we need sound and standardised procedures of measurement.

This research aimed to identify predictors of satisfaction with life in family carers. Evidence from the literature and from the Third European Quality of Life Survey (years 2011–2012) led to the construction of a model which was tested through linear regression analysis. The results corroborate findings from previous studies identified in the literature, showing that married and employed carers with higher education, those with fewer difficulties making ends meet with their household income and those who are healthier have higher levels of satisfaction with life.

In Austria, the provision of long-term care is strongly based on unpaid female work within family networks and is characterised by a highly unequal division of informal long-term care-giving. In 1993, a major reform has been introduced in the Austrian long-term care system with a payments for care programme and a state–provinces treaty regarding service development at its heart.

Care of dementia is extremely resource demanding and has a great impact on both the formal care systems and the situation for informal carers. Thus, the question of cost–effectiveness is crucial. This presentation is, to a great extent, based on the dementia project by the Swedish council on technology assessment in health care. After the database search and quality judgment of papers, 22 papers of drug treatment were finally included. A summary of the situation as regards cost–effectiveness on drugs for Alzheimer’s disease showed that no evidence could be stated on empirical studies.

The increase of chronic illness as a leading cause of death has given rise to self-care and expert patient initiatives. Caring for chronically ill people places a tremendous economic burden on the health care system, informal carers, the labour market and benefit system (Department of Health 2001, 2004, 2005). Thus, in many countries health policy encourages patients to become ‘experts’ in the self-management of their conditions in the belief that it will help save money and improve health and well-being (Wanless 2002).

Aileen Murray explores the implications for three groups affected by the condition and how greater awareness of these results in improved experiences for individuals