This is summary of a study that aimed to compile evidence on: the prevalence of long-term informal care-giving within a family setting to dependent family members or relatives in various EU countries, focusing on the most ‘heavily burdened’ carers; the socio-economic impact of care-giving on the households of family carers; and measures aimed at alleviating burdens on family carers by supporting them in the provision of care and/or compensating for the adverse socio-economic consequences of care-giving.
The study used existing national and transnational sources of data, including official statistics and published primary research. Burden and socio-economic impacts of carers of older people and non-older people are discussed in separate sections. Policy and practice measures designed to support carers, rated according to the robustness of evidence also included.