The article uses an interpretive and qualitative framework to analyze elderly care policy with a focus on the instrumental effectiveness of this policy. The framework of the research offers an understanding of informal carers needs for formal support at the level of social policy measures. The micro-level inquiry, i.e., interviews with informal elderly carers, both revealing caregiver burden and evaluating their need for formal (social policy) support, is demonstrating how qualitative inquiry can inform about shortages of this policy. The findings of the research suggest that formal support for informal caregivers in Lithuania is not adequate to their multifaceted care burden and should be therefore developed to encompass both direct and indirect support measures for informal carers.

中文翻译：

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非正式家庭照顾者需要国家保证的支持。对社会政策有何影响？

本文使用解释性和定性框架来分析养老政策，重点关注该政策的工具有效性。该研究的框架提供了对非正式护理人员在社会政策措施层面对正式支持的需求的理解。微观层面的调查，即与非正式老年照顾者的访谈，既揭示了照顾者的负担，也评估了他们对正式（社会政策）支持的需求，证明了定性调查如何能够告知这项政策的不足。研究结果表明，在立陶宛，对非正式照顾者的正式支持不足以承担其多方面的照顾负担，因此应制定包括对非正式照顾者的直接和间接支持措施。