Families often fill the gaps when social protection systems or healthcare for older persons and those with disabilities are inadequate, including where austerity measures have cut back services and welfare. Since care is almost always seen as primarily women's work, the burden is borne disproportionately by female family members. And to be effective, public support in the form of legislation and public policies needs to be based on the reality of how families are structured and constituted rather than on an 'ideal' of how families should be.