Caregiving by country is the regional variation of caregiving practices as distinguished among countries.
Caregivers internationally
Australia According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001 paper on the health and well-being of Carers, Carers save the Australian Federal Government over $30 billion a year, according to the same statistics there are over 300 000 Young Carers (Carers Australia states that a Young carer is any carer under the age of 25) with 1.5 million potential young carers, where potential is defined as a young person who lives in a household where there is at least one person who requires full-time care (Is disabled etc.). In 2015, carers provided around 1.9 billion hours of unpaid care. According to a new study by the University of Queensland, Australian carers are providing $13.2 billion worth of free mental health support to their friends and family members. This "hidden workforce" is an equivalent of 173,000 full-time mental health support workers.
In Australia they also have The Australian National Young Carers Action Team (ANYCAT) whose goal is to advocate on behalf of young carers (Being young carers themselves) each board member is the sole representative of their state or territory and represent as few as 75 000 Young Carers. In Most states and Territories they have an ANYCAT equivalent team or Board. In Queensland this is called Young Carers Action Board Queensland (YCABQ).
Canada Caregiving in Canada involves providing essential care services, including personal support, companionship, and medical aid, to help individuals maintain their independence and quality of life. It is carried out by trained healthcare assistants and volunteers. Historically, caregiving was an accessible job for many, requiring minimal formal education and offering flexible entry points. However, it has transitioned from being an easily accessible occupation to one that now requires more certifications. Traditionally, no specific educational qualifications were necessary to enter this field. Organizations and private agencies provided brief training, often just a few weeks long, enabling high school graduates or nursing students to take up caregiving roles as a means of earning money and gaining experience.
The industry, however, experienced significant changes when provincial educational institutions commercialized caregiving programs, making their lengthy qualifications mandatory. This shift primarily targeted international students, as caregiving became a pathway for them to transition from temporary to permanent residency in Canada, which is comparatively easier than other immigration streams. In 2025, Canada plans to grant permanent residency to temporary residents already engaged in caregiving and to new arrivals under this category, reflecting the changing demand and the need for updated regulations in the caregiving sector as well as labor management strategies.
China According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China 2011 report regarding China's total population and structural changes, people belong to the age group of 60 years and above accounted for 184.99 million, which occupied 13.7 percent of the total national population at the end of 2011. The number has risen 0.47 percentage point comparing to the year of 2010. Of these, people age 65 years and above figured up 122.88 million that occupied 9.1 percent of the total and has increased 0.25 percentage points.
As a steadily increasing older population with a growing demand for long-term care, an issue of lacking of elderly care facilities as well as inadequate training for skilled caregivers has generated a social concern pertaining to elder care. According to the official Chinese media Xinhua, professionally qualified caregivers are in great request with approximately 10 million people needed to provide care for the Chinese aging population. However, the report also stated that only 300,000 people currently working as caregivers with less than 1/3 of them are trained properly.
There is no organized caregiver association in China. As a result, family members still construct the major source of caregiving in China especially in rural area where the quality of health services is a problem. A recent study aims to examine the effect of depression on family members of whom sons and daughters-in-law carry out main responsibilities in caring for elderly parents have indicated several findings, including:
The majority of caregivers choose to rely on medical resources (physicians and traditional healers) during the caregiving for older people. The depression score varied significantly between caregivers of healthy and non-healthy older adults. The severity of depressive expression associated with background of caregiving, like caregiver's income, age, and the time spent on caregiving. Social support plays an important role in impacting the status of depression among family caregivers.
More recently, another Caregiver Reaction Assessment was conducted in China with a purpose to analyze the reliability and validity among family caregivers of cancer patients. The study recruited 400 participants from the Second Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang with 312 family caregivers completed the survey. This study tried to measure caregiving experience from five aspects: disrupted schedule, financial problems, lack of family support, health problems, and self-esteem. The results indicated that the Chinese version of caregiving is profoundly influenced by the conception of Confucianism that emphasizes filial piety and guides the traditional caregiving ideology. Furthermore, the average age of adult children provide care is 46 years old of whom the majorities still work to support the family. As such, adult children sometimes bear significant physical and mental strain when their personal schedule and life activities are negatively impacted.
Germany Caregivers in Germany assist individuals with disabilities or sick or elderly individuals with emotional support, health monitoring and daily living activities.
Israel In Israel, one of the most significant challenges regarding caring is coping with the increasing number of dementia patients. The illness is Israel's second leading cause of disability among the elderly aged 70+ and is considered one of the most distressing and difficult conditions for the patients and their families. Due to its extensive implications, dementia is a challenge for the health and social service systems and its economic impact on society is considerable. In 2013, Israel adopted a National Strategic Plan to Address Alzheimer's and Other Types of Dementia, which emphasized the need to relate specifically to the needs of family caregivers of elderly dementia patients – in other words to treat them as a target population of the service system in their own right.Shlomit Azran-Shadmon, Shirli Resnizky, Michal Laron, and Jenny Brodsky. Review of Programs for Family Caregivers of People with Dementia. Jerusalem: Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute (2018).
Italy When compared to all other countries Italy has the highest percentage of residents who are age 65 and older.Maroni, R. (2002, April). Italy. Statement delivered at Second world assembly on ageing, Spain. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/swaa2002/coverage/italyE.htm The life expectancy for males is 76.7 and 82.9 for females, and it is predicted that by 2050 these numbers will reach 81 and 86 years, for men and women respectively. In addition, the country is faced with a rapidly growing older population and a shortage of younger individuals. Furthermore, the Minister of Labor and Social Policies of Italy stated that the family plays the most important role in the quality of life of elders, and it is the primary care provider for the older populations; however, the government also provides assistance to the family care giver by the following services: "Qualified assistance at home" "Support services" "Service vouchers" "Daytime centres to provide support for families by offering old people rehabilitation and recreation" "Stays in holiday resorts for non self-sufficient old people - including those staying in hospitals or homes" The family plays an important role in providing care to its older parents but many children still have to work so that they can survive financially and as a result many caregivers are immigrant workers. These immigrant workers come in search of work from many parts of the world such as Moldavia, the Philippines, and Peru; however, the largest population of immigrant workers come from Ukraine. Many of the caregivers work long hours and weeks, and also leave their own families behind and send them the money they make.
Japan In Japan, a country with an aging population, caregivers assist sick or elderly individuals or individuals with disabilities with mobility, personal hygiene, daily living activities and health monitoring in private homes and nursing facility. In 2022, around 29% of the population of the country was aged 65 and older. Japan is a country with a low birth rate and longevity for its citizens.
Taiwan Taiwan TodayTsai, J. (2011, March 25). Taiwan's aging society raises questions on long-term care. Taiwan Today. Retrieved from http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=157626&CtNode=427 reports that currently in Taiwan only 72,000 seniors, about one third of those receiving long-term care, live in nursing institutes. The rest are taken care of by family members. ChenChen, G. (2008). Family caregiving in Taiwan. Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers. Retrieved from http://www.aarpinternational.org/ usr_attach/CHEN-Family_Caregiving_In_Taiwan.pdf on 25 February 2012. indicates that there were 600,000 family caregivers in Taiwan and they spent an average of 13.55 hours a day caregiving. 80 percent of these 600,000 family caregivers encountered limitations on social activities. 70 percent of them needed to take care of patients even when they did not feel well. He also mentions that 80 percent of family caregivers are women, and 50 percent of them are over 50 years old. Women are more likely to be regarded as natural caregivers because of gender expectations. Taiwanese females take care of children and spouses with chronicle illnesses to meet social norms and maintain filial piety. Among the family caregivers in Taiwan, some of them experience guilt, depression, nervousness, and injuries, sleeplessness, and hopelessness. Thus, it is a very essential task to promote the capabilities of family caregivers and improve their life quality.
Ukraine