Caregiving relatives

More than 70% of all people living in Austria who require care and support are looked after by their relatives. These care services are taken for granted by society and receive little recognition in the public consciousness. The circumstances surrounding this are underestimated. Enormous pressure to provide the right level of care and, at the same time, not to undermine the autonomy of those in need of care presents this group of people with major challenges. As medicine continues to advance and humanity is encouraged to adopt a 'healthy' lifestyle, the average life expectancy in our society has increased significantly. There is a steadily growing need for supportive interventions that, on the one hand, relieve the burden on family carers and, on the other hand, provide knowledge about the clinical picture and information about possible relief services. This book highlights the diffusion of these two topics, supportive interventions and possibilities for relief.