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Among 269 functionally impaired elderly people residing on 53 Israeli kibbutzim, those cared for principally by informal caregivers were compared with those cared for principally by formal caregivers. The major findings were that the variables differentiating between primary reliance on formal versus informal care are similar to those that have been found in other studies, and that the availability of formal resources was not accompanied by withdrawal of informal supports.

Characteristics of 269 functionally impaired elderly persons and their primary caregivers were examined in relation to long-term care planning. Contrary to expectation, there were no differences in rates of institutional risk between those elderly residents of Israeli kibbutzim cared for primarily by formal caregivers and cared for by informal caregivers. Lack of informal caregivers emerged as an important risk factor for institutional risk, even in the service-rich environment of kibbutzim.