Million grant for research into sustainable care for older people in the Nordic region
A new research project is focusing on how best to create sustainable care systems for older people living at home – including through better integration of formal and informal care.
The project has just received a grant of 15 million Norwegian kroner from a number of organisations coordinated by NordForsk, a body under the Nordic Council of Ministers that funds Nordic research collaboration.
“The aim is not only to identify current and future needs in the field of elderly care, but also to develop solutions that can strengthen cooperation between local authorities, families, volunteers and local communities,” says Tine Rostgaard, Professor of Comparative Social and Welfare Policy at Roskilde University and project leader.
The researcher explains that the Nordic countries are generally known for providing comprehensive formal care for older people through, for example, municipal home care and home nursing services. However, many older people living at home still rely on informal care from family, friends, volunteers and the local community.
As part of the project, the researchers are also looking at the Baltic countries, where formal care is less developed and informal care is therefore more crucial. Overall, an ageing population and weakened family and community ties are challenging care systems across the Nordic region.
“We need a better understanding of the optimal combinations of formal and informal care resources, as well as the development of new support systems to address inequalities in care resources,” explains Tine Rostgaard.
The aim is for this interdisciplinary project to generate new knowledge and evidence-based solutions that will help the Nordic and Baltic countries to identify current and future gaps in care for older people living at home.
About the funding
The project is supported by a number of Nordic funding bodies: the Innovation Fund, the Swedish Research Council, the Research Council of Norway, Rannis (Iceland), the Research Council of Estonia (Estonia), the Latvian Council of Science and the Research Council of Lithuania.
It is the Innovation Fund Denmark that enables Danish applicants to apply for the programme. NordForsk is responsible for its administration, and the majority of the budget comes from the Nordic funding bodies, which also make up the call committee.