Unpaid help: who does what?

Original title: Informele hulp: wie doet er wat?

There is currently a great deal of interest in the Netherlands in people’s reliance on their own networks in times of need. What can people do for each other when someone needs help because of health problems? And what are they already doing?

In this publication we describe who is providing unpaid help. They include both informal carers, who help people with whom they have an emotional relationship, and volunteers providing care or support. What are their experiences in providing this help? Who do help, why do they do it, who do they share the help with and do they receive any support? And to what extent would people not currently providing unpaid help be willing and able to do so? We address all of these questions based on a survey of 7,000 Dutch citizens.

The Netherlands Institute for Social Research¦SCP carried out this study at the request of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. It follows two earlier publications, ‘Informal care in the Netherlands: a literature review on informal care and volunteering in care’ (Informele zorg in Nederland; een literatuurstudie naar mantelzorg en vrijwilligerswerk in de zorg) (June 2013), and ‘A helping hand. An exploration of the opportunities and limitations for (more) informal help’ (Hulp geboden. Een verkenning van de mogelijkheden en grenzen van (meer) informele hulp), which was based on the outcomes of group discussions (September 2014).

Mirjam de Klerk works in the Care, Emancipation and Time Use research sector at SCP. Her research interests focus on unpaid help, the Social Support Act (Wmo), use of care and participation in society by people with impairments. Alice de Boer works in the same research sector, carrying out research on  unpaid help and elderly care. Sjoerd Kooiker also works in the Care, Emancipation Time Use research sector; his research interests include citizens’ responsibility for health and care. Inger Plaisier is employed in the same research sector, carrying out research on developments in home care, elder abuse and mental health. Peggy Schyns works in the Participation, Culture and Living Environment research sector at SCP, where she carries out research on sustainability, civic participation, subjective well-being and political cynicism.