Care for dependent elderly people : dealing with health and financing issues.

Summary In the context of a rapidly ageing population, this thesis explores the links between health and care methods for dependent elderly people and addresses the issue of financing dependence. Meeting the assistance needs of dependent elderly people is a central objective of public policy. Chapter 1 estimates the effect of informal (i.e. family) and formal (i.e. professional) home help on the mental health of dependent elderly people in France. The results show that informal help reduces the risk of depression and that formal help can improve general mental health. Recent studies recognize that helping a dependent relative has negative effects on the health of caregivers and emphasize the importance of supporting them. Chapter 2 focuses on the effect of social support on the health of informal caregivers. Finally, given the financial and fiscal pressure on public systems, Chapter 3 examines the extent to which Europeans would be able to finance their periods of dependency on the basis of their income and their financial and real estate assets. It also looks at the role of lifetime mortgages. The simulations show that only a small proportion of individuals would be able to finance all their LTC expenses. On the other hand, real estate assets could play an important role in financing LTC.