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Dr hab. Katarzyna Zamorska
ORCID: 0000-0003-2145-6851

Katarzyna Zamorska graduated in Philosophy from the University of Wrocław. She is currently employed at the Institute of Political Science at the same university. Since 2012, she has been the Head of the Department of So­cial and Economic Policy. She is a member of the Polish Society for Social Policy and the Editorial Board of the reactivated pre-war journal Wiadomości Społeczne. She is the author of several articles on social policy and the book Prawa społeczne jako program przebudowy polityki społecznej (Social Rights as a Program for Restructuring Social Policy). She is also a co-author of the monograph Starzenie się społeczeństwa. Wymiar społeczny, gospodarczy i polityczny ( Ageing of Society: Social, Economic and Political Dimensions).

 
DOI: 10.33226/0032-6186.2026.1.4
JEL: J14, I38, J18

In the face of the dynamic aging of society, the importance of care for dependent older adults is growing. In Poland, the primary burden of this care rests with informal car­egivers – most often family members – whose role, despite its fundamental importance, remains under-recognized within the social security system. This article attempts to analyse the challenges and gaps in supporting this group, pointing to the need to build an integrated support system. In particular, it discusses instruments such as the EU Di­rective on Work-Life Balance, and local solutions, includ­ing the care voucher. In this context, senior policy repre­sents an important area of public intervention that should address the needs of informal caregivers as an integral part of the long-term care system. Social security is understood here in a broad sense – as a system encompassing not only financial transfers but also access to services, legal regula­tions, and mechanisms enabling the combination of car­egiving roles with other life responsibilities. The article is a review based on an analysis of documents and literature on the subject, taking into account social, economic, and cultural aspects.

Keywords: informal caregivers; dependent older adults; social security; senior policy; senior care voucher; work-life balance; long-term care