The protective effects of informal care receipt against the progression of functional limitations among Chinese older people

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the impacts of receiving informal care on the progression of functional limitations among older people aged 60 and older in China. METHODS: The data come from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, which collected health- and aging-related information on a nationally representative sample of Chinese older people from 2011 to 2015. Multilevel regression models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The protective effect of receiving informal care is stronger for the first 2 years after the baseline survey and tends to fade away or be reversed 4 years later. The protective effect is stronger among older people receiving low-intensity informal care and is gradually weakened with an increase in care intensity. DISCUSSION: Trajectories of function capabilities are deeply embedded in social relationships. In the context of rapid population aging and increasing demand for informal care, government support for caregivers is needed to sustain the protective effects of informal care.