Intergenerational Care Challenges in Romania: Assessing Senior Citizens' Access to Care amid Migration and Service Gaps

In Romania, support for senior citizens is predominantly based on a familialism-by-default approach to intergenerational responsibility, placing the majority of caregiving duties on families rather than the state. Governmental funding for financial assistance or institutionalized public support for family care is largely lacking, and cultural norms strongly expect adult children to care for their aging parents. Over the past two decades, mass migration has resulted in a significant reduction in available caregivers, impacting multiple generations. Additionally, the country’s market-based and formal care services remain underdeveloped and insufficient, with notable regional disparities—rural areas, in particular, are lagging behind. In this context, older adults with health issues and functional limitations often encounter a reorganization of intergenerational care strategies, which may result in some of their care needs being unmet. The gap between the care seniors require and the care they actually receive can adversely affect their health and well-being.

Utilizing recent data from a 2024 national survey of 900 individuals aged 65 and over, this analysis assesses the care resources available to seniors and compares them against their care needs. It examines how various care sources—familial, market-based, and formal services—are integrated. The study identifies which seniors are better equipped with care agency and resources and who is more likely to experience unmet needs. Building on previous findings, it is anticipated that seniors with severe functional limitations, those living alone, and individuals in poorer regions (where emigration has been most pronounced and market or formal services are least accessible) are the most vulnerable and likely to encounter gaps in care resources.