Informal care for the elderly in the face of generational change. Challenges for management in family services and social policy

Abstract

Informal family care for the elderly is embedded in the traditions of the Polish family and is an expression of intergenerational solidarity. However, it is also increasingly giving way to forms of institutional care in Poland. Meanwhile, informal care responds to the idea of deinstitutionalization of care for the elderly promoted in Western countries and EU policy. The aim of the text is to discuss informal care in the context of generational change, especially the characteristics of Generation Y, whose representatives are now entering the roles of caregivers of the elderly. Informal care will be presented as a challenge for family and social policy in Poland. The topic will be discussed on the basis of a review of the available literature on the subject. The analysis will form the basis for recommendations for social policy actions.