Quality of life in community-dwelling elderly receiving informal care

Principal researcher

Dr Eva Kibele

Collaboration

Aleid Brouwer, George de Kam, Anna Petra Nieboer

Summary of the project

Demographic changes (ageing and population decline) lead to societal challenges. In response to ageing and increasing health care costs, the Dutch government strengthens policies to support prolonged independent living.

Objective of this project is to analyze factors that influence prolonged independent living and investigate how the quality of life of older people living independently is influenced by informal care and the living environment in the municipality where an older person lives.

Quality of life of older care receivers is predominantly influenced by a single factor: a worse health status is related to lower quality of life. Receiving basic informal care is also related to lower quality of life. The living environment does not influence quality of life: it does not matter whether an older care receiver lives in a municipality with population decline, with high or low average income or in a rural or urban region.

This project is financed by ZonMw.