Oudijk, D.

To measure the experienced burden by informal carers (N=2.444), a 15-item Mokken scale has been developed. This concerns an extended version of the EDIZ (“Ervaren druk door Informele zorg”); several items refer to the pressure of time brought by the combination of labour and care and the consequences for the health of the informal carers are added to the EDIZ. We call this new scale the EDIZ-plus; it concerns a reliable one-dimensional and hierarchical scale which extends from 0 (no burden) to maximum 15 (severe burden).

Against the backdrop of ongoing population ageing, informal care occupies an important place on European political agendas. This article discusses informal caregiving by middle aged and older persons in the Netherlands and other European countries, with particular emphasis on the role played by motives. The data are drawn from SHARE. Our results show that in the Netherlands, it is mainly feelings of being needed and obligation that increase the chance of informal care being given. Deriving pleasure from an activity, by contrast, reduces the likelihood.