Reconciling work and care: the need to support informal carers

Population ageing and advances in medical sciences mean that more people are living longer with multiple conditions and complex health needs. This growing demand for long-term care puts pressure on informal carers who – through their activity – offset ever tighter public care budgets and services. Moreover, the EU objectives in the field of (female) employment, the push towards longer working lives and other socio-economic developments (smaller families, growing physical distances between relatives, shortages of care professionals) exacerbate the problem by forcing an increasing number of people to combine work and care responsibilities.