formal and informal care

Despite being a relatively young society, Israel, like many other countries, has not escaped the global ageing phenomenon. About 11% of its population are aged 65 years or older; this compares with an average of 18% in many European countries. About 75% of Israel’s population are Jewish and about 21% are Arabs (CBS, 2017).[...] Despite the fact that more older people – from both communities – are now accepting a mix of support from their families alongside services, families are still the main source of care for older people in Israel (Katz et al, 2015).

While integration has become a central tenet of community-based care for frail elderly people, little is known about its impact on formal and informal care and their dynamics over time. The aim of this study was therefore to examine how an integrated care intervention for community-dwelling frail elderly people affects the amount and type of formal and informal care over 12 months as compared to usual care. A quasi-experimental design with a control group was used.