phone 044 300 11 22

Care and support from relatives - advantage or disadvantage?

We have arrived in the age of demographic change. What has been predicted for years as a consequence of the ageing process is already having a wide range of effects on Swiss society. While the number of people over the age of 64 is rising sharply, the number of young people is falling steadily. As a result, more and more people are in need of care. At the same time, there are fewer and fewer carers and rising costs in retirement and nursing homes. So who will be caring for these people in the future?

Caregiving relatives help at the dinner table

Relatives at the limit

It doesn't take long for us to reach the point of care provided by relatives, siblings, children, grandchildren, neighbors or friends. In Switzerland, relatives perform a total of around 64 million hours of unpaid work for the care and nursing of loved ones. The value of this work amounts to CHF 3.5 billion. francs. (Study: "Temporal extent and monetary valuation of care and support by relatives", BASS, 2014)
What sounds like a simple solution to the problem is a major challenge for everyone involved and often results in overwork, as this responsible task demands a lot of time and energy.

The positive aspects:

  1. People in need of care are not torn away from their familiar surroundings.
  2. Family cohesion means that the person in need of care feels more valued.
  3. Depending on their physical and mental abilities, those in need of care can continue to carry out their usual activities.
  4. The daily routine can be organized more individually at home than in a care home.
  5. People in need of care do not have to adapt to the requirements of an institution.
  6. Care at home is more cost-effective.

The negative aspects:

  1. Relatives suffer from mental and physical stress, which can possibly lead to burnout.
  2. There is often a lack of experience with care.
  3. Living in a relative's home can result in a very cramped living situation.
  4. The person's own home is usually not equipped for the disabled.
  5. The necessary equipment is associated with high investments.
  6. If the family member providing care falls ill, there is a risk of inadequate care.
  7. If people in need of care live alone and social contacts are lost, this can lead to isolation.
  8. If caregiving relatives also have to juggle work and family, there is often no time left for their own social contacts.
  9. 24-hour care is not possible.

Of course, people in need of care usually prefer to be looked after and cared for by their relatives rather than in a care facility. They don't want to be torn away from their familiar surroundings or have to get used to new people. And family is actually there to hold you together in difficult times.
However, the majority of relatives feel overwhelmed and left alone. Many suffer from depression, which in the worst case can lead to alcohol or drug addiction. Violence in care is also a growing problem. What looks so selfless from the outside can lead to isolation and despair behind the scenes.

How can the overload be counteracted?

With increasing numbers of people in need of care, society is dependent on the cooperation of relatives. In the future, private care will become increasingly important. There are many support services available in Switzerland: Advice and help on care, financial matters or even what you can do for yourself. As part of its health policy priorities Health2020, the Federal Council has adopted the "Action plan to support and relieve the burden on family caregivers "
.

If family caregivers are open to accepting these offers, this can result in a very enriching collaboration for all sides, which gives both those in need of care and the family caregivers new perspectives.