The determinants of receiving social care in later life in England

Abstract

Demographic change and policy changes in social care provision can affect the type of social care support received by older people, whether through informal, formal state or formal paid-for sources. This paper analyses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing data (wave 4) in order to examine the relationship between demographic and socio-economic characteristics, and the receipt of support from different sources by older people who report difficulty with daily activities. The research outlines three key results with implications for the future organisation of social care for older people. Firstly, the number of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) an older person reports having difficulty with, followed by the number of activities of daily living (ADLs) are the strongest determinants of receiving support from any source. Secondly, there are significant gender differences in the factors associated with receiving support from different sources; for example, physical health is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by men, while mental health status is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by women. Finally, the research shows that different kinds of impediments in everyday life are associated with receiving support from different sources. This ‘link’ between particular types of difficulties and support receipt from particular sources raises questions about the way social care provision can or should be organised in the future.

Gender and socio‐economic inequalities in health and living conditions among co‐resident informal caregivers: a nationwide survey in Spain

“…, Vlachantoni et al . ). The burden of care is usually coped with following a social hierarchy, which has to do with gender, age, socio‐economic level and degree of relationship.…”

“…, Vlachantoni et al . ). Caregivers who do not have appropriate social support nor the suitable nurse training to provide specific care may be at risk to an overburdening with negative consequences on their health and quality of life (Butterworth et al .…”

Public Support for Older Disabled People: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing on Receipt of Disability Benefits and Social Care Subsidy

“…This may explain why we find significant income and wealth influences on receipt of publicly subsidised social care, where Vlachantoni et al. () found none. Finally, we have also been able to exploit newly available data on social care collected in wave 6 (2012) of ELSA, which enable us to distinguish better between those who receive publicly subsidised care and those who pay the full cost of care.…”

Home and community care for older people in urban China: Receipt of services and sources of payment

“…Need is the most immediate reason for using social care. The existing studies have consistently confirmed the central role of care needs in driving home care receipt (Blomgren, Martikainen, Martelin, & Koskinen, ; Bolin, Lindgren, & Lundborg, ; Larsson, Thorslund, & Kareholt, ; Murphy, Whelan, & Normand, ; Stoddart, Whitley, Harvey, & Sharp, ; Vlachantoni, Shaw, Evandrou, & Falkingham, ).…”