Redirecting resources to community based services : a concept paper

A legacy of the command economy in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union is a social protection system that emphasizes institutional care for vulnerable individuals. It has been well established that in many cases institutionalization can be more expensive per client served and produce inferior welfare outcomes than more inclusive approaches designed to support individuals within their families and communities. But countries seeking to change the model of services face a number of financial constraints, including redirecting resources away from institutions. How can countries develop the new programs in an affordable manner? How should they change the financing flows to support the new options, without putting the burden of financing on the vulnerable themselves? The objective of this paper is to provide a framework to help countries re-orient their financing systems for social care. The paper first reviews key concepts in social care financing and then applies them to the problem of changing social care models in ECA countries.Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics,Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Governance Indicators

Day care of the elderly: a participant observation study of one centre

This thesis is concerned with day care for elderly people, an area of provision about which there has been little experimental research. It reports research undertaken In one day centre for both elderly and physically handicapped (non-elderly) clients. However, as the research Is focussed on the elderly, the physically handicapped clients are considered only Insofar as their presence Is relevant to the care of the elderly clients.Some literature concerning elderly people Is reviewed selectively. Particular attention Is paid to work concerning the provision of social care for the elderly and especially day care.The primary research methodology was participant observation. Some theoretical Issues concerned with participant observation are raised and the conduct of the present research Is described and discussed.The research falls Into three parts.First, there Is an analysis of the clients at the Centre based on the data available from their admission forms.Secondly, the fieldwork Is reported. A short description of the staff at the Centre Is followed by an analysis of the clients' early days In day care, specifically the processes of admission and Induction. Transport Is then discussed. The Centre regime Is described including activities undertaken by clients, group formation and membership, subjects of conversation and subjects of concern to clients, relationships with physically handicapped clients, staff-client Interaction and Centre management. The operation of the Review Panel Is considered.Thirdly, there Is a summary of Interviews with a sub-sample of clients.The findings point up Important policy implications for Social Services Department and Centre management. The need to Identify clear aims for day centres and for Individual clients is emphasised. Suggestions are made concerning admission policies, Induction, the way In which client progress Is reviewed and Centre regimes. Attention Is drawn to the roles (especially the caring roles) of different categories of staff. Ideas for future research are noted

Caring for carers: an evaluation of a domiciliary respite care scheme

This thesis evaluates a domiciliary respite care scheme which supported the family carers of physically handicapped and frail elderly people living at home. It considers the context in which the scheme arose and gives thought to its organisational structure. The consumer perspective is central to the evaluation of the scheme. The supported families are described In terms of the needs of dependant and carer and the effect of the scheme in relieving the caring situation. Although the majority of carers wish to look after their dependants caring can have an adverse effect on the well being of carers, both physically and emotionally. The scheme which was funded by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) offered support to families by providing part-time trained care helpers who cared for dependants allowing the family carer to have a break. Carers were referred by statutory caring agencies, voluntary bodies and self referred following press publicity. Eligibility criteria related to the carers' health and responsibilities together with the care requirements of the dependants and the availability of other help. Of 208 families referred, 159 (76%) were supported during the two year pilot project, receiving 2-20 hours respite care a week, free of charge and at times suiting the carer and dependant. The level of dependency of the disabled people was high (27% unable to perform dressing/undressing, toileting, feeding or walking unaided). Their ages ranged from 3-93 years and the ages of their carers from 21-92 years of age. The scheme was valued by families for the high standard of care provided and the flexibility of respite care which gave help when statutory services were not available. Families, however, sought continuity of service. This could not be provided with MSC funding and the effectiveness of the service to carers and dependants was reduced by the need to employ and train new staff annually

Housing options for older people in a reimagined housing system: a case study from England

The housing options of older people now extend far beyond the traditional choice between staying put and making do, or moving to specialist housing or residential care. A flexible suite of options has emerged, centred on promoting independence and wellbeing. Valuable insights have been provided into the development, delivery, costs and benefits of these options. Light has also been cast on the experiences and preferences of older people. However, little is know about who gets what housing, where and why. This reflects a tendency within analysis to consider these different housing options in isolation. This study responds by situating the housing options of older people within wider debates about the reimagining of the housing system driven by the neoliberal transformation in housing politics. Taking a case study approach, it explores the gap between the ambitions of policy and realities of provision at the local level, relates this to the particular intersection of state practices and market mechanisms manifest in the case study and, in doing so, rises to the challenge of extending analysis of the impacts of the neoliberal approach on the right to housing to new groups and different settings

Housing with care for later life: a literature review

An overview of recent evidence related to new and emerging models of housing with care for later life. There is growing interest and investment in housing schemes for older people that combine independent living with relatively high levels of care. This review looks at UK evidence around issues of independence, social integration, and the capacity of housing with care to meet a range of care needs. It focuses on primary research and service evaluations, drawing out key messages for service providers and commissioners. The evidence base is small. However, it provides valuable insights into how well housing with care serves current policy objectives, and whether it meets the needs and aspirations of older people. The evidence supports the idea that housing with care promotes independence, and generates high levels of resident satisfaction, messages around other key areas are more ambivalent, however

Towards a Sustainable Life: Smart and Green Design in Buildings and Community

This Special Issue includes contributions about occupants’ sustainable living in buildings and communities, highlighting issues surrounding the sustainable development of our environments and lives by emphasizing smart and green design perspectives. This Special Issue specifically focuses on research and case studies that develop promising methods for the sustainable development of our environment and identify factors critical to the application of a sustainable paradigm for quality of life from a user-oriented perspective. After a rigorous review of the submissions by experts, fourteen articles concerning sustainable living and development are published in this Special Issue, written by authors sharing their expertise and approaches to the concept and application of sustainability in their fields. The fourteen contributions to this special issue can be categorized into four groups, depending on the issues that they address. All the proposed methods, models, and applications in these studies contribute to the current understanding of the adoption of the sustainability paradigm and are likely to inspire further research addressing the challenges of constructing sustainable buildings and communities resulting in a sustainable life for all of society

Inclusive and Safe Mobility Needs of Senior Citizens: Implications for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities

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Inclusive and Safe Mobility Needs of Senior Citizens: Implications for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities

Municipalities are concerned with addressing social issues such as mobility inclusion and safety by increasing access to transport facilities and services for all groups in society to create equitable and equal access for all citizens. Moreover, the public transportation systems provided in cities have to be inclusive and safe, driven by emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based services that provide personalized recommendation to improve mobility inclusion and safety for all citizens in society, especially vulnerable road users such as senior citizens or older people. But at the moment, there are few studies that have investigated how municipalities can provide inclusive and safe public transportation in general and for senior citizens, particularly those aged 65 and above. Therefore, this study aimed to examine how to provide inclusive and safe mobility for senior citizens to improve out-of-home mobility services for senior citizens towards age-friendly cities and communities. Accordingly, a systematic literature review grounded on secondary data was adopted to investigate inclusive and safe mobility needs for senior citizens. The data were collected from previous research and existing documents, and a descriptive data analysis was carried out to provide insights on urban transportation policies related to senior citizens. Furthermore, case studies were adopted to present polices and strategies employed in Norway, Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Northern Ireland to identify measures employed to address the public transportation needs of an aging society, focusing on the provision of inclusive and safe mobility to senior citizens. Further findings from this study included the possible use of emerging technologies such as AI-based machine learning for inclusive and safe mobility.publishedVersio