Abstract:

The analysis of the economic life situation of older people emphasizes the extension of life expectancy, the orphanhood due to the migration of adult children or the professional activation of women, who traditionally take care of elderly family members and the lack of income adequacy of pension protection systems – decreasing replacement rates in EY mandatory public pension and – at the other hand - rising maintenance costs, including care costs.  The longer life expectancy and low fertility rates cause the old-age dependency ratio is currently around 25% in European countries, and forecasts indicate that by 2060 could double - in some countries, including Poland, the forecast can reach even 70% (IPiSS, 2012). Consequently in many cases the care needs during the old age will not be secured by the family, neither by the public pension scheems. This will cause the need to find means to finance external services or to compensate lost earnings, reduced quality of life faced by family members taking over these functions.