Informal Care for the Older Persons in Indian Households

India is moving fast to an advanced stage of demographic transition with rapid ageing of its population, yet it lacks the required support systems to meet the needs for care of its older population. Providing care to the elderly is a burning issue in all ageing societies. In the Indian scenario, caregiving heavily relies on informal sources, i.e., family. And thus, the role of gender becomes relevant in both receiving and providing care. This study explored the nature and extent of gender differentials regarding in-house instrumental support received by the elderly by analysing the nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), wave I. Significant gender differentials are observed, and the likelihood of receiving care is higher for elderly females than for males. Among the demographic factors, the number of children the respondent has, the place of residence, and the living arrangement come out to be significantly related to receiving informal care. From a caregiving perspective, the female spouse is identified as the primary caregiver while, if we consider intergenerational aspects, the daughters-in-law come out to be the major caregivers, establishing the feminization of the role of caregiving. Our study further concludes that longer life expectancy with higher prevalence of limitations in activities of daily living and economic dependency increases females’ dependency on informal care in Indian households.