social policies

The situation of caregivers and family caregivers of dependent older adults is presented and discussed, highlighting their dedication, problems, and possible recommendations to value them. The task of caring is known to be eminently feminine, invisible, unpaid, but affects society as a whole. Policies of some European countries, Canada, and the United States in favor of male and female caregivers are described. However, most existing support models have gaps.

Informal caregivers are the unpaid persons who take care of a not self-sufficient family member, due to old age or chronic illness or disability. As in all the European countries, the demand for informal cares is further increased as a result of the ageing societies and the social and political fallout of informal caregiving is a very current and important issue. We have overviewed some international scientific literature, with the aim of understanding the key research objectives to be firstly pursued to address this problem.