ABSTRACT

Chapter 8 deals with time. At the centre of attention are two forms of support that adult children may provide to their parents: help (with household chores and paperwork) and personal care. Who helps, who cares? The chapter investigates which adult children support their (elderly) parents. How important are resources and needs? Is there some kind of exchange between time (from adult children) and money (from parents)? Such an empirical result would imply that family members are more likely to support one another if they receive something in return. Furthermore, the question is whether the welfare state is more likely to encourage the retreat of relatives when it comes to taking care of parents in need, or whether family support is actually enhanced by public services.