Advantages And Disadvantages Of Informal Care

The Canadian population of elderly people is growing rapidly, people are living longer lives. Naturally, this fact leads to the growing involvement of formal and informal support. Informal support is usually given by family and friends, if spouses are not able or have passed away, children are the next best bet for social and informal support. (309) One in five Canadians aged 45 and older have given assistance to an older family member or friend. (Cranswick & Dosman, 2008, 210) Informal support has many advantages but it also takes a toll on adult children who pursue it. An online article which goes into detail on the challenges faced when taking care of older parents is called “Caring for Elderly Parents Takes Toll on Caregivers” which is

The facts throughout each of these writings match meaning they both have accurate facts. Social policies are also somewhat discussed in the article and mentioned much more in the textbook, the social policies only go so far when benefitting elderly people, it comes down to their personal means and ability. There are many disadvantages and advantages to informal care which are discussed throughout both the article and textbook which can explain how older adults are effected as well as adult children. Caring for an older parent involves more than buying them new clothes and giving them medicine, they have emotional needs as well as healthcare needs. This is why in many situations formal and informal care are both necessary to satisfy an older persons needs. Studies by gerontologists show that women/daughters are more likely to take on the responsibility of caring for their parent(s). (3__) The type of care and emotions arised while caring for an older parents also differs between men and women. A study confucted by Campbell and Carol (2007) on 58 adult sons showed some comm experiences and emotions. (325) Some of these