Determinants of the use of ambulant social care by the elderly

Policy makers and scientists are increasingly concerned with the use of formal care services by the elderly. This article demonstrates that there are three different care systems: the informal, the commercial and the formal (public) system. In terms of prevalence, the formal system is the least important one. By means of a cross-sectional sample of the elderly population of Antwerp, an Andersen model is estimated to explain the use of formal services. This model shows that the level of functional capacity of the elderly is a crucial factor. Yet, the effect this has on the use of care varies according to the different living arrangements. “Need” as such, therefore, does not determine the use of formal services, since its effect is modified by the different alternatives that are at the disposal of the elderly person (living arrangements, informal care, income, availability of commercial alternatives). In the conclusion it is argued that the Andersen model, in a cross-sectional design, is inadequate to construct a theory concerning the use of care services.