Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie
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Review
[Informal non-kin support for elderly people living alone and end of life care. Literature review].
Older people living alone are a disadvantaged group of society with regard to preferences for care, especially in the last phases of life. Non-kin carers seem to play a vital role for these people; however, these carers tend to be neglected in research as well as policy compared to professional caregivers or family members. ⋯ Non-kin carers face several challenges and have to deal with increasing needs for physical care towards the end of life. Palliative care services are most often involved at this phase. More research is needed to better understand the limits as well as ressources of non-kin carers and the interplay between them and professional carers.