[Tendency of development and perspectives of domestic care. Core results of the potential and limits of independent living (MuG III) study].

The study "Potential and Limits of Independent Living in Private Households" (MuG III) provides a comprehensive picture concerning the life situation of persons in need of help and care within private households. Domestic care in Germany is still provided by the family. Professional services within the framework of the Long Term Care Insurance add to domestic care, with the central objective to support the private willingness to home care. Viewed in line with the trend, domestic care arrangements - also against the background of the effects of demographic change - prove themselves as stable and adaptable. Meanwhile more men are integrated into care giving, and the number of neighbours and friends filling in as main caregivers has increased, too. However, the still considerable burden is noticeable. The limits of domestic care become evident any time when there are not enough caregivers available, as well as in cases of people suffering from dementia who are in need of extensive care.