Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the outcomes of informal caregiving for community-living impaired elderly at home with a conceptual framework of human capital theory. With the human capital theory, the unpaid contributions of informal caregivers are a social good, and investments in increasing the informal caregiver resources or capital may yield better Caregiving outcomes. Methods: Four groups of human capital factors were applied: caregiver personal resources, social resources, health insurance coverage, and care-recipient’s contributions to the caregiver. Their effects were examined on caregiving outcome measures: hours of assistance provided, ADL and IADL assistance provided, and care-recipient perceived health -after controlling for both caregiver and care-recipient sociodemographic and health factors. Analysis of the 200 pairs of informal caregivers and their elderly care-recipients aged 65+ years with chronic impairment, drawn from the 2011 list of the National Health Insurance system. The results: The data which were collected through face-to-face interviews, showed that the care-recipients were advanced in age and had a considerable physical as well as cognitive impairment; the caregivers were mostly middle-aged. Their provision of care was in direct response to the care-recipients’ needs. ADL of the elderly care-recipients were significantly related to the ADL , IADL and hours of assistance provided. The elderly ADL and IADL impairment of care-recipients were significantly related to IADL assistance provided. None of the sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly were significantly related to IADL assistance provided. Burden also had a strong relationship with IADL assistance provided. Hours of assistance were significantly related to the elderly care-recipient’s ADL, and IADL impairment. However, cognitive impairment was not significantly related to hours of assistance. Conclusion: Results found that reducing caregiver burden, providing respite services to caregiver, providing better health care coverage, facilitating coordination among various informal caregivers, and promoting the helpfulness of care-recipients could help caregivers carry the responsibilities of care as well as enhance care-recipient quality of life.