Cultures of informal care: Comparing later life care in the UK, Netherlands and India

Background:
Increased life expectancy, chronic illnesses and limited formal care means informal care is becoming more critical for ageing populations. The majority of informal care studies focus on global north contexts and there are few cross-country comparisons, even among global north countries. Therefore, the link between context and the way informal care is experienced remains underexplored. Thus, this article aims to critically compare the lived experience of older adult informal carers in three sociocultural contexts: the UK, the Netherlands and India.

Research design and methods:
This article uses qualitative in-depth interview data collected from the three countries. Data were analysed thematically, and this analysis revealed several key themes.

Results:
First, there are several variations in informal carer dynamics, specifically in terms of spousal and parental carers. Second, there are key cultural negotiations in care dynamics.

Discussion and implications:
The study emphasises the need to expand comparison to more global south contexts. Focusing on certain age-related impairments may also offer unique insights and solutions to informal care concerns.