De bekendheid van mantelzorgers met voorzieningen ter ondersteuning van hulpbehoevenden

This article elaborates on the acquaintance of informal caregivers with supportive services, focussed on the one they care for, and how this can be declared by several factors. The data come from the study ‘Informal care 2007’ from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (N=2646). The population (N=1011) consisted of informal caregivers who helped the care receiver with arranging the concerning services. Most of the informal caregivers (92%) eventually say it is clear where they can request for services. Half of them, however, does not know where to go for arranging services and even more do not feel informed sufficiently about regulations in the municipality. Caring for a chronically ill person is related to being less acquainted with the services, as well as the motivation to help due to a lack of an alternative or the lack of a social or professional network. Men, lower-educated and younger informal caregivers from the city turn out to be less acquainted with the available services as well as caregivers caring for their parents or other relatives. These results argue for more focus of (local) governments and professionals on the specific informal caregivers at risk, especially those provide help on their own