Table 1.

Independent and dependent variables

Independent Variables = Need Characteristics
Categories	Questions	Possible answers	Dichotomization
	How often did it recently happen that…
	How often did it recently happen that…
Emotional distress	…you felt that your relatives were overextended or stressed out?	never
	…you were concerned that your family caregiver will not be able to provide the same care as nowadays?	very rarely
	…you waited a long time for help or support?
Social isolation	…you felt lonely or left alone?
	…you missed contact to other people or personal conversations?	sometimes
Emergency situations	…you were frightened that there could be a medical emergency situation?	often
	…you feared that you are unable to call for help in case of emergency?
Hospital stay	Have you, as a care recipient, been in the hospital overnight in the last 12 months?	no
		yes, once
		yes, twice
		yes, more than twice
Length of stay	How long have you been at the hospital for the past 12 months?	less than one week
		up to two weeks
		two to four weeks
		more than four weeks
Pressure sore	Have you ever had a pressure sore?	yes
		no
Caregiver	How do you assess the health of your primary caregiver?	bad
		less well
		good
		very good
		excellent
Dependent Variables = Services
Services	Explanations
Nursing service	A nursing service offers professional support in personal care, nutrition, and domestic care	I already use it	use
		→ utilization
Counseling	Counseling can be offered by nursing services, hospital/healthcare insurance, or from community care access centers. It can also take place in the home environment.	I don’t use, but I want to use it
			no use
Training and Guidance	Training and guidance for care recipients and their family caregivers are provided by nursing services, health/care funds – also possible at home	→ potential future use
Day care	At the day center, the day care recipients are cared for in a facility. A pick-up and delivery service is organized as well as meals/food.	I don’t use it and I don’t want to use it
Short-term care	Short-term care is the temporary (maximum of four weeks per year) move to a short-term care facility, for example after a hospital stay, or in case the family care person is not available for a particular time period.
		→ rejection
		I don’t know what this is
Mobile Services	Mobile services bring drinks, food, or other purchases directly to your home, e.g. meals on wheels.
		→ not informed
Self-help groups	This is where relatives of care recipients meet for (regular) exchange.