Informal Caregivers in Greek Hospitals: a Unique Phenomenon of a Health System in Financial Crisis

摘要

Background:In Greece it is quite common for family members to provide informal unpaid care for another family member during hospitalization, alongside healthcare professionals. Understaffing and lack of nursing personnel, due to austerity measures implemented in Greece during the last eight years, force families to provide informal care during hospitalization. The aim of the research was to study the role of informal caregivers (IC) during a family’s member hospitalization, factors affecting their presence and patient’s needs that were met by them.