Bridge or Barrier? The Impact of Network Capital on the Receipt of Long-Term Care Services in Germany

OBJECTIVES: In Germany, roughly 8.3 million people are in need of care, but only one-third of them receive state care benefits. The study investigates whether the individual network of a care-seeking person, as well as its resources, interact with health status on the likelihood of accessing formal care services. METHODS: German data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) from 2015 were used in several Firth logistic regressions with interaction terms. RESULTS: Health limitations are a significant predictor for the probability of receiving formal care benefits. As moderating factors, caregivers from the immediate family as well as caregivers with lower levels of education tend to contribute to an increase in this probability. DISCUSSION: Findings are based on a limited data set and indicate the importance of further research in this area to examine the mechanisms of access to formal care more precisely.