Guaranteeing Old Age Wellbeing? Investigating Income and Care Packages of the Belgian Elderly Population
Author: Verpoorten, Rika , rika.verpoorten@soc.kuleuven.be
Department: Sociology
University: University of Leuven, Belgium
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jos Berghman
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Elderly
, Income package
, Care package
, SHARE
Areas of Research:
Poverty, Social Welfare and Social Policy
Abstract
Based on observations of population ageing and increasing old age related risks like financial and physical dependency, we investigate how the Belgian elderly population combines income and care mechanisms in order to protect their wellbeing. Central is the packaging approach, which considers the wide range of mechanisms available to the population to provide income and long-term care protection
A quantitative research design, based on data from the second wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, aims to provide an answer to a threefold research question:
(1) How is the old age income package of the Belgian elderly population composed, what determines its composition, and does it provide a sufficient level of protection against the financial dimension of old age dependency;
(2) How is the old age care package of the Belgian elderly population composed, how is this related to the old age income package play, and does it provide a sufficient level of protection against the physical dimension of old age dependency;
(3) How does the old age income and care package contribute to old age wellbeing?
The research results aim to be a source of inspiration for the content of the Belgian elderly policy. The assessment of the old age income and care package should reveal opportunities for policy actions, the development of suited social programs or the adaptation of existing elderly policy initiatives.
