Informal carers are family members or friends who provide unpaid care to individuals affected by illness, disability, or frailty associated with old age. Across Europe, long-term care (LTC) systems rely heavily on informal care: an estimated 80% of all LTC is provided informally. With rising demand for care due to demographic ageing and workforce shortages in the LTC sector, informal carers have become more visible, and governments in many Western countries have begun to develop targeted support measures. In this Policy Brief, we provide an overview of how selected European countries with relatively extensive formal LTC systems support informal carers.
