A Model of the Relationship between Family Caregiving and Formal Caregiving for the Elderly

The rapid aging of the population and the increase in the number of disabled people make it urgent to construct a long-term care service system, which calls for a proper positioning of the relationship between family and formal caregiving systems. But most previous studies have ignored the changes of the two over time. This paper uses the growth curve model and the concept of family life course to emphasize the dynamics of the relationship between the two care systems. It also examines the two care systems in the context of social changes and specifically discusses the following issues: (1) The substitution effect of family caregiving for the elderly on formal care resources; (2) The changing trajectory of the substitution effect of elderly family care on formal care resources with age; (3) Cohort differences in the substitution effect of elderly family care on formal care resources. The study found that family care has a significant substitution effect on the use of formal care resources for the disabled elderly, that means, supporting and strengthening family care resources can effectively reduce the disabled elderly's dependence on formal care resources. However, as age increases and cohort change, the substitution effect tends to weaken. Therefore, in the process of constructing the long-term care system, the impact of social changes on the supply of family care resources and the impact of cultural values and other factors on the capabilities or willingness of families to take care of the elderly should be taken into full consideration.