Leader: Riccardo Prandini (UNIBO);
The research examines the reorganization of care models for frail older adults by residential healthcare organizations after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several of these organizations are innovating their internal structures and community relationships to evolve into multi-service centers and hubs within the care network for frail older individuals.
As part of this research framework, the research group identifies and selects four case studies: residential healthcare organizations located in the Italian regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont, each representing distinct models of elder care management.
Furthermore, we developed methodological tools to evaluate the articulation of community care through a proximity health approach. This analysis focuses on addressing the needs of frail older individuals and their families to show the potential "social mechanisms" that can facilitate social innovation. Innovations refer to new responses to longstanding, emerging needs and fostering bottom-up governance approaches within local health networks.
The outcomes of this research will lead to the formulation of co-designed, socially sustainable policy recommendations developed with comprehensive engagement and active participation from key stakeholders. This group includes prominent not-for-profit organizations in the care sector, private-sector care providers, care workforce representatives, and associations that advocate for care recipients and their families: Uneba, Anaste, Aris, Confcommercio Lombardia, Rinata, Aprire-Network, CDSA.
During this reporting period, Task 6.7 focused on planning and initiating fieldwork research activities. Key efforts included:
- Processing relevant literature and producing the corresponding research project.
- Presenting the research project at the public Kick-off meeting held in Bologna in October 2023.
- Establishing access to the field by participating in public events and conferences within the residential care sector and employing snowball methodology to connect with informants and stakeholders.
- Conducting interviews with various stakeholders.
- Creating stable collaborations with stakeholders for ongoing efforts through focus groups and working tables.
In terms of research data production, the first outputs for this period consisted of:
- Conducting a focus group with key informants at the first stages of the fieldwork.
- Organizing a stakeholder's working table and disseminating preliminary research results on January 24 at the University of Bologna.
During this reporting period, Task 6.7 continued to access the field and collect qualitative data, specifically:
- Engaging with selected case studies and identifying specific organizations for investigation.
- Initiating qualitative research within residential facilities through participant observations and interviews.
- Accomplishing a total of 140 in-depth interviews.
Additionally, we produced the following outputs:
- Convening a stakeholder meeting for Spoke 5, focused on the "Sustainability of Care for the Dependent Elderly Population," which occurred in Rome on April 16-17, 2024.
- Successfully preparing and submitting the first deliverable for WP6, "Dataset of Indicators". These indicators aimed to define and describe the "services quality" in a practical and measurable form, giving substance to the normative demands (Low no.22/23), their feasibility, and evaluation conditions as residential service providers receive them. The development and collection of the indicators took place on-site with the cooperation of the service providers and based on the fieldwork survey.
During this period, Task 6.7 concentrated on several activities:
- Starting the analysis of collected data, beginning the transcription of interviews, and deliberating on selecting the fifth case study.
- Hosting a scientific meeting of Spoke 5 that focused on the "Sustainability of the Elder Care System in an Aging Society." This event occurred on the Termoli (CB) campus of the University of Molise on September 12-13, 2024. We shared findings and updates from ongoing projects, prompting discussions on long-term care strategies and the sustainability of elder care in Italy.
OUTPUTS- 30/09/2024
During this period, the task focused on several key activities:
- Preparation and selection of a fifth case study to be carried out in Lazio
- Preparation and submission of the second WP6 deliverable
The second deliverable, "Policy Brief," was completed.
- Preparation of the first journal publication
Thanks to the previous data analysis, the researchers prepare the first article to be published in the journal "Welfare & Ergonomia" focusing on participatory research as a valuable tool for reporting social innovation in the Italian residential sector.
- Preparation of the second journal publication
Thanks to the analysis of the previous data, the researchers prepared the second article to be published in the journal "Economia e società regionale" focusing on the work of social and healthcare workers in the LTC sector, on skills, training, and the recognition of care work.
OUTPUTS- 31/12/2024
• Submission of the second WP6 deliverable, "Policy Brief: Long-Term Care Facilities as a Hub of Local Healthcare Network." The contribution emphasizes the bottom-up requests to the policy makers made by the stakeholders involved in the research.