Jasperina Brouwer receives Vidi grant for research on the future of informal care

Jasperina Brouwer has been awarded a Vidi grant to develop the Social Care Model: a theoretical framework that explores the conditions under which people can provide informal care, now and in the future. The research focuses on individual, social, and societal factors, offering insights into how informal care can be organized sustainably in a changing society.

Due to population ageing and the growing shortage of healthcare professionals, the Netherlands increasingly relies on informal caregivers. Currently, one in three Dutch people provides care for a loved one, but many experience a heavy burden. Brouwer investigates how informal care can be better integrated into the healthcare system to ensure continued access to care.

From individual to societal level

In her research, Brouwer not only examines the personal motivation and capacity of caregivers, but also the social and societal conditions that shape them. How do legal regulations, social norms, and values influence people’s willingness and ability to provide informal care? And how does collaboration between informal caregivers and healthcare professionals function within the care network surrounding the care recipient?

Combining data and simulations

To answer these questions, Brouwer combines large-scale surveys, focus groups, and interviews with caregivers, care recipients, and professionals. The collected data—including social network information—form the basis for agent-based simulations that reveal under which circumstances sustainable informal care remains feasible, given the demographic changes in the Netherlands.

Contributing to sustainable care

With her project Informal Care of the Future, Brouwer aims to contribute to solutions that keep healthcare accessible and sustainable. “No one should have to worry about the availability of care,” she says. “That’s why it’s crucial to understand what people need to be able to provide informal care, and how that care can best be organized together with professionals.”