Homecare co-created in partnership with older people – from debut to end of life

Research problem and questions: Older people are rarely involved in developing homecare services targeted to them, despite policies clearly stating the value of user involvement and person-centeredness.

The overall aim is to generate scientific knowledge on the development of homecare services through co-creation and co-research.

In partnership with stakeholders, i.e., significant others, staff at frontline, managerial, and policy levels, and especially older people, we address identified improvement areas throughout the care trajectory from “debut”, i.e., first-time use of homecare to end of life.

Overarching research questions:How does the current scope of homecare correspond to stakeholders’ needs and competencies, and what priorities do stakeholders have in co-creating the development of homecare services?What models, tools and innovations are co-created with stakeholders to enable involvement of older people in homecare services´ delivery and development from debut to EoL?What changes on individual, organizational, and policy levels do stakeholders value when using co-created models, tools and innovations that facilitate older people’s involvement in homecare delivery and the development of homecare services, and what changes do they call for?What is the impact of co-creation and co-research on homecare practice and knowledge generation with respect to e.g., competence development, novelty, relevance, usability, and how can this impact be captured?Data and method: Multiple case participatory action research design with multiple methods.

Data will be generated through verbal and non-verbal approaches, surveys, and registers, and analyzed with qualitative and quantitative methods.Societal relevance and utilization: The urgent need for innovation in developing homecare services arises from issues of aging populations, the growing and complex care needs among older people, their limited influence and involvement in homecare and a lack of (qualified) homecare staff.

This program contributes to strengthening social services as a knowledge-based organization, and influence how old age is viewed and socially constructed.Plan for project realization: We draw on the collective multi-perspective expertise of our partnering stakeholders and researchers in the areas of homecare services, user involvement, participatory approaches.

Costs for user involvement, collaboration and research competence building in eldercare are included in the budget.