The study “Poverty Beneath the Burden of Care: The Impact of Long-Term Care on Poverty Among Older Persons in Serbia” was carried out within the regional initiative “Improving Health, Participation, Access and Social Equality in the Western Balkans,” funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria. The initiative is being implemented from 2024 to 2026 in Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania.
The study was conducted by the SeConS Development Initiative Group, with the support of the Red Cross of Serbia, as the first systematic effort to examine how the costs of social and health care services, as well as limited-service availability, affect the poverty risk among older persons in Serbia.
The methodological framework includes a desk analysis, a quantitative survey of 600 individuals aged 65 and over who require support in daily functioning, and qualitative case studies involving older persons, caregivers and service providers. This mixed-method approach enabled an in-depth understanding of needs, expenditures, access to services and coping strategies within households of older people.
The findings provide a basis for developing recommendations aimed at improving policies and measures in the field of social and health care for older persons and their caregivers, reducing poverty risks associated with care-related expenses, and enhancing the quality of available support.
