Home care policies and experiences of caregivers. The Belgian situation

Caregiving carried out by adults for other adults is increasing in Belgium, like around the world, as the demographics of many industrialized countries shift toward an older population with escalating care needs toward the end of life. Moreover, the number of caregivers from the family circle are increased and that all the more so as the low number of retirement homes and their prices lead the government to favor the maintenance of elderly people at home. Indeed, aging policies are more and more oriented towards these solutions. There are many reasons to defend this new perspective: it would cost less and would offer more guaranties for the preservation of autonomy for the elderly. However, these policies still generate support for professional and paraprofessional care staffs, but also for family members, especially women. When they still employed, they must find a balance between work and family life. This care can be a source of stress for family members caring for seniors in difficulty, but can also be a source of complicity and experience of life. We will present several research carried out in Belgium to understand these situations of care