The measurement of informal care: issues and applications

Health and social care systems face numerous challenges as costs are increasing and the prevalence of chronic conditions is on the rise. People who provide informal, unpaid care to those who require help with daily activities, such as washing and dressing, will play an important role in the future in addressing these challenges. It is essential to identify and correct any issues which arise when measuring the amount of time that is spent on informal care so that future research and policy can be effective.

We will use a variety of data sources to understand how different methods used to record the amount of time spent caring affects a carer’s responses. We will also develop methods to correct common forms of bias associated with the measurement of caregiving time and apply these to an empirical example.