Table 1.
The Four Care Regimes: A Comparative View on Denmark, France, Germany, and Italy
| Denmark | France | Germany | Italy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and functioning of public LTC | ||||
| Total public spending on LTC as % of GDP | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Coverage (65+ population) of cash and care programs | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Coverage (65+ population) only of care programs | High | Medium | Medium-to-low | Low |
| Coverage (65+ population) only of cash/care allowances | Low | Low | Medium-to-low | Medium |
| Eligibility criteria to access provision (apart from care needs) | Only care needs in home care; Incomea in residential care | Incomea | Only care needs | Incomea for services; Only care needs for care allowances |
| Presence of a formal national classification of beneficiaries (and resources provided to them) depending on their care needs’ level | No | Yes (four levels) | Yes (three levels) | No |
| Functioning of informal social support | ||||
| Informal social support: quota of families receiving it | +++ | ++ | ++ | + |
| Informal social support: intensity of informal support provided/likelihood of receiving support with personal care | + | ++ | ++ | +++ |
| In case elderly parents become frail, the best option would be they should live with their children (% agree) | 7% | 18% | 25% | 28% |
| In case elderly parents become frail, the best option would be public or private service providers should visit their home and provide them with appropriate help and care or parents should be put in nursing home (% agree) | 72% | 58% | 35% | 37% |
| In case elderly parents become frail, children should care even sacrificing their career (% agree) | 18% | 17% | 35% | 48% |
Notes. GDP = gross domestic product; LTC = long-term care. Data source: Saraceno and Keck (2011), Carrera et al. (2013), Eurobarometer (2007), Albertini et al. (2007), Brandt et al. (2009), Colombo et al. (2011), EC (2012).
aIncome of the potential beneficiary is relevant in terms of defining the amount of co-payments beneficiaries themselves are supposed to provide and not simply in terms of being not eligible to enter public provision.