Evaluation by members of the formal care system of clients' informal supports must overcome
conceptual, methodological, and ethical dilemmas if it is to be reliable and valid. Several of
these dilemmas are illustrated in a study of elderly social service clients in Jerusalem. The
findings point to the need for measurement efforts (1) to focus upon the content of informal
supports, (2) to collect data through direct observation, (3) to promote greater objectivity among
evaluators, (4) to consider the risks of upsetting the balance of informal care, and (5) to
encourage the timely evaluation of social network care potential.
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