IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/reveho/v23y2025i3d10.1007_s11150-025-09793-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The family and long-term care

Author

Listed:
  • Kathleen McGarry

    (Los Angeles and NBER)

Abstract

Countries around the world are grappling with the need to provide for aging populations. The elderly need not just financial security, but physical care as well. A central component of this care is the need for assistancea with day-to-day activities. While countries have taken various approaches to providing long-term care, the role of the family looms large in every nation. In this paper I document some of the differences across countries in the policies established to provide long-term care and then focus on the importance of family. I pay particular attention to the personal costs borne by caregivers in terms of their own health and labor market outcomes and conclude by offering some thoughts on what the future might hold.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen McGarry, 2025. "The family and long-term care," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 877-896, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:23:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11150-025-09793-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-025-09793-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11150-025-09793-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11150-025-09793-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. K. Bolin & B. Lindgren & P. Lundborg, 2008. "Informal and formal care among single‐living elderly in Europe," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(3), pages 393-409, March.
    2. Arie Kapteyn & James P. Smith & Arthur van Soest, 2007. "Vignettes and Self-Reports of Work Disability in the United States and the Netherlands," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(1), pages 461-473, March.
    3. Joan Costa‐Font & Cristina Vilaplana‐Prieto, 2025. "The Hidden Value of Adult Informal Care in Europe," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 791-812, April.
    4. Bom, Judith & Bakx, Pieter & Schut, Frederik & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2019. "Health effects of caring for and about parents and spouses," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    5. Van Houtven, Courtney Harold & Coe, Norma B. & Skira, Meghan M., 2013. "The effect of informal care on work and wages," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 240-252.
    6. Van Houtven, Courtney Harold & Norton, Edward C., 2004. "Informal care and health care use of older adults," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1159-1180, November.
    7. Norma B. Coe & Courtney Harold Van Houtven, 2009. "Caring for mom and neglecting yourself? The health effects of caring for an elderly parent," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(9), pages 991-1010, September.
    8. repec:wly:hlthec:v:26:y:2017:i::p:127-138 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Meghan M. Skira, 2015. "Dynamic Wage And Employment Effects Of Elder Parent Care," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 56(1), pages 63-93, February.
    10. Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2012. "Family Location and Caregiving Patterns from an International Perspective," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38(2), pages 337-351, June.
    11. Tijs Vandemeulebroucke & Bernadette Dierckx de Casterlé & Laura Welbergen & Michiel Massart & Chris Gastmans & Deborah Carr, 2020. "The Ethics of Socially Assistive Robots in Aged Care. A Focus Group Study With Older Adults in Flanders, Belgium," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(9), pages 1996-2007.
    12. Bonsang, Eric, 2009. "Does informal care from children to their elderly parents substitute for formal care in Europe?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 143-154, January.
    13. Bom, Judith & Bakx, Pieter & van Doorslaer, Eddy & Gørtz, Mette & Skinner, Jonathan, 2023. "What explains different rates of nursing home admissions? Comparing the United States to Denmark and the Netherlands," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    14. Meghan M. Skira, 2015. "Dynamic Wage And Employment Effects Of Elder Parent Care," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 56, pages 63-93, February.
    15. Costa-Font, Joan & Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina, 2025. "The hidden value of adult informal care in Europe," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126347, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Christine Ho & Kathleen McGarry, 2025. "Brothers, sisters, and support to older parents: separate spheres across and within support types?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(1), pages 1-38, March.
    17. Nicole Maestas & Matt Messel & Yulya Truskinovsky, 2024. "Caregiving and Labor Supply: New Evidence from Administrative Data," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(S1), pages 183-218.
    18. Jonathan Gruber & Kathleen McGarry, 2025. "Long-Term Care around the World," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number mcga-1, October.
    19. P.L. de Zwart & P. Bakx & E.K.A. van Doorslaer, 2017. "Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64? The health impact of caregiving to one's spouse," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S2), pages 127-138, September.
    20. Corina Mommaerts, 2025. "Long-Term Care Insurance and the Family," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 133(1), pages 1-52.
    21. Schmitz, Hendrik & Westphal, Matthias, 2015. "Short- and medium-term effects of informal care provision on female caregivers’ health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 174-185.
    22. Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2012. "Family Location and Caregiving Patterns from an International Perspective," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38(2), pages 337-351, June.
    23. Susan L. Ettner, 1996. "The Opportunity Costs of Elder Care," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 31(1), pages 189-205.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Minamo MIKOSHIBA, 2025. "Universal Insurance with In-kind Transfers: The welfare effects of long-term care insurance in Japan," Discussion papers 25030, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Joan Costa-Font & Martin Karlsson & Henning Øien, 2015. "Informal Care and the Great Recession," CINCH Working Paper Series 1502, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health, revised Feb 2015.
    3. Norton, E.C., 2016. "Health and Long-Term Care," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 951-989, Elsevier.
    4. Rellstab, Sara & Bakx, Pieter & García-Gómez, Pilar & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2020. "The kids are alright - labour market effects of unexpected parental hospitalisations in the Netherlands," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Mommaerts, Corina & Truskinovsky, Yulya, 2020. "The cyclicality of informal care," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. Zhu, Chen & Jin, Zhuo & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "The impact of informal care from children to their elderly parents on self-employment? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    7. Sean Urwin & Yiu‐Shing Lau & Gunn Grande & Matt Sutton, 2023. "Informal caregiving, time use and experienced wellbeing," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 356-374, February.
    8. Ludovico Carrino & Vahé Nafilyan & Mauricio Avendano, 2023. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Work on Informal Care," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 424-455, March.
    9. Carrino, L.; & Nafilyan, V.; & Avendaño Pabon, M.;, 2019. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Working in Older Age on Caregiving," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 19/23, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    10. Abrahamsen, Signe A. & Grøtting, Maja Weemes, 2019. "Formal Care of the Elderly and Health Outcomes Among Adult Daughters," Working Papers in Economics 2/19, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    11. Julien Bergeot & Roméo Fontaine, 2020. "The heterogeneous effect of retirement on informal care behavior," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(10), pages 1101-1116, October.
    12. Le, Duc Dung & Ibuka, Yoko, 2023. "Understanding the effects of informal caregiving on health and well-being: Heterogeneity and mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    13. Matteo Lippi Bruni & Cristina Ugolini, 2016. "Delegating home care for the elderly to external caregivers? An empirical study on Italian data," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 155-183, March.
    14. Wang, Yixiao & Yang, Wei & Avendano, Mauricio, 2022. "Does informal care reduce health care utilisation in older age? Evidence from China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    15. Coe, Norma B. & Goda, Gopi Shah & Van Houtven, Courtney Harold, 2023. "Family spillovers and long-term care insurance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Signe A. Abrahamsen & Maja Weemes Grøtting, 2023. "Formal care of the elderly and health outcomes among adult daughters," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 436-461, February.
    17. Raab, Roman, 2017. "Retirement and Informal Care-giving: Behavioral Patterns among Older Workers," JRC Working Papers in Economics and Finance 2017-08, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
    18. Eibich, Peter, 2023. "Instrumental variable estimates of the burden of parental caregiving," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    19. Bergeot, Julien & Tenand, Marianne, 2021. "Does informal care delay nursing home entry? Evidence from Dutch linked survey and administrative data," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 2105, CEPREMAP.
    20. Bonsang, Eric & Costa-Font, Joan, 2023. "The "Demise of the Caregiving Daughter"? Gender Employment Gaps and the Use of Formal and Informal Care in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 16615, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:23:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11150-025-09793-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.