What determines the receipt of social care from informal, state or private sources?

Demographic and policy change can have an adverse effect on the social care support received by older people, whether through informal, formal state or private sources. This paper analyses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing data (wave 4) in order to examine the demographic and socio-economic characteristics associated with the receipt of support by older people from different sources. The research findings outline three key results which have significant implications for the organisation of social care for older persons in the future. Firstly, the number of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), followed by the number of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are the strongest determinants of receiving support from any source in later life. Secondly, there are significant gender differences in the factors which are associated with the receipt of support from different sources; for example, physical health is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by men, while mental health status is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by women. Finally, different kinds of needs are associated with the receipt of support from different sources, and this ‘link’ raises questions about the manner in which future social care provision should be organised.