Due to aging populations and declining birth rates, the demand for care is expected to peak in 2040. Policy measures, such as encouraging people to live at home for as long as possible, put significant pressure on informal caregivers, who are often women. Yvonne Krabbe-Alkemade, who has a mother with Alzheimer’s, noticed that most caregivers in nursing homes are also women. This observation is supported by statistics. “One in three women will develop dementia in their lifetime, compared to one in seven men. Additionally, caregivers are often women. Research shows that 71 percent of informal caregivers are women, and among professional caregivers, the number is even higher: nine out of ten,” says Krabbe-Alkemade.
These figures form the basis of a new research project by Krabbe-Alkemade, in which she will examine the socioeconomic impact of dementia on women. The research team aims to explore why dementia is more prevalent in women, the impact on female caregivers, and how caregiving responsibilities can be shared.
The link between work and dementia
On average, women live longer than men, and dementia is closely linked to age. However, Krabbe-Alkemade questions whether this is the only explanation for the high proportion of women in nursing homes. As part of the research project, she will investigate the relationship between employment and the development of dementia later in life. “In nursing homes, we see a high number of women born before 1940. Women from that generation were generally not allowed to work after marriage; the legal employment ban for married women was only abolished in 1957. We want to explore whether the inability to work accelerated cognitive decline. This is relevant for future generations: if women work less because they increasingly take on informal care responsibilities, it could have long-term consequences.” To investigate this, the researchers will compare different generations and possibly different countries.
Well-being of caregivers and care recipients
The researchers will also examine the well-being of both the women providing care and the women receiving it. They will distinguish between women who only provide informal care and those who, in addition to caring for a family member, also work as professional caregivers. “We are curious to see whether this distinction affects the well-being of both the caregiver and the care recipient.”
In a previous study, Krabbe-Alkemade found that when a partner dies, there is often a peak in nursing home admissions. “There is usually a fragile balance; once the partner passes away, staying at home becomes unmanageable— while it was already hard before the partner’s death.”
Support from other groups
To keep elderly care sustainable, it is essential for other groups, such as men, younger individuals, and recently retired people interested in volunteer work, to contribute more. “If they were to provide informal care, what tasks would they prefer? We aim to investigate this through a discrete choice experiment.”
Communication with caregivers
The research team will also study communication with caregivers: are male and female informal caregivers approached differently? And are there ways to improve communication with caregivers?
The project will last five years and is funded by Dagelijks Leven, an organization that provides care for people with dementia. Other contributors to the project include health economist France Portrait, PhD candidate Fatima Amankour, and sociologist Marieke van Wieringen.
More information
Would you like to know more about research at VU School of Business and Economics? Contact science communicator Yrla van de Ven, y.f.van.de.ven@vu.nl or 06-26512492.