As European demographics shift over the coming decades, our societies will need to find innovative approaches to care. If it's unlikely that neither the welfare state nor individuals will be able to cover the rising costs of elder care, then what’s the solution?
In a new article in Acta Sociologica, Marlou Ramaekers and Klara Raiber suggest that people will have to begin relying on their social networks to take care of the elderly. And who’s closest to home? Why, our neighbours, of course.
Marlou and Klara examined how anticipated reciprocity and any previous negative caregiving experiences could impact whether or not neighbours are likely to become carers. They found that when an individual believes that they will be cared for in return, they’re more likely to take on caregiving duties. However, people with previous caregiving experience were more willing to care for their neighbours without reciprocity, but only if they hadn’t previously experienced caregiving as a burden.
Want to learn more? You can read the (open access) article here.
