Providing Integrated Health and Social Services for Older Persons

Book excerpt: Originally published in 2004. Providing Integrated Health and Social Care for Older Persons - Issues, Problems and Solutions (PROCARE)" is a project in the EU Fifth Framework Programme (Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources, Area "The Ageing Population and Disabilities") that aims to help in defining the new concept of an integrated health and social care for older persons in need of care by comparing and evaluating different modes of care delivery. The project will identify structural, organisational, economic and social-cultural factors and actors that constitute an integrated and sustainable care system with enhanced outcomes for all actors involved. This book gathers the achievements of the first project phase (2002) that consisted in a literature overview focusing on the question which of the variety of innovations in modes of organisation, finance and professional collaboration observed in Europe over the last decade have been the most successful and long-lasting ones. Thus, national reports from nine EU Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK) will be presented by scholars from leading research and consulting agencies in these countries. The national reports follow a mutually agreed structure. The publication is introduced by a general overview and a more theoretic article defining the issues at stake. The book gives a unique general overview on European approaches towards integrated social and health care services and policies that are to be developed to face the growing need of care in ageing societies; furthermore, it provides indicators for successful approaches and models of good practice to overcome the "social-health-divide" and a better understanding of the meaning of integrated services and coordination of social and health systems in the different countries. Finally, facts and figures about coordination at the interface between health and social care for older persons as well as problems and solutions (