摘要
The paper investigates levels of functional health in old age as an outcome determined by support from family members and the individual’s financial assets. It addresses the question to what extent these risk factors for functional health also apply to the risk of long-term care (LTC) as defined by German Law SGB XI and may thus be transferable. Three hypotheses are presented, relating the individual’s economic resources and social integration to functional health limitations and to the onset of LTC. Results are stratified by levels of care, taking into account changes in levels of care over time as well as the location of care (at home or in a nursing home). The analysis is based the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). For males it was shown that presence of close relative or spouse reduces the utilization of care (according to the LTC- definition by German Law (SGB XI). For males, long-term care was mostly provided by the spouse. The need of care depends not only on functional health status but also on the type of (family-)network. Substitution could not be found in the lower income groups. The utilization of LTC even increases for less affluent males living with a spouse due to financial incentives provided by LTC insurance. Substitutability of care services may thus vary by income group.