From Traditional to Modern Care? The Case of the Intellectually Disabled and Mentally Ill in Modern Lithuania

Abstract

Public care services remain one of a few areas where modernity and its consequences are still questioned these days. The arguments of those supporting informal traditional family care and those giving priority to the formal modern services provided by professionals are both equally strong. However, it is important to stress that the question of modern versus traditional caregiving is not entirely a scientific discussion. Caregiving directly influences a majority of society; it is a task of many trained professionals and forms a part of social policy. Caregiving is connected with decision-making on many levels: family, institutional, regional and national policy.