Familialism and financial resources in old age. Setting the scene for the provision of care in Portugal

Abstract

The paper examines some trends in the living arrangements and in the living conditions of the Portuguese elderly . The analysis draws on panel data from the European Community Household Panel and provides a sociological characterization of the living realities of the Portuguese elderly in order to ground in empirical evidence the discussion on the interest and viability of tele-care in the Portuguese context. The main argument of the paper is that in a society still strongly marked by traits of familialism, all mechanisms that are based on the idea of the elderly remaining in their homes are of potential interest in the sense that they can complement and improve the quality of the care provided by families. The second argument of the paper addresses the issue of the financial conditions of the Portuguese elderly and raises awareness for the limitations of any market-based solutions as potentially triggering further inequalities within the care system.