DEM(H)CARE - Coordinated interventions between elder care, home health care, and primary care to develop best practice for older persons living at home with cognitive disorder

Research problem and specific questionDEM(H)CARE is an interdisciplinary program to develop forms of cooperation and working structures for interventions for older people with dementia at home.

The aim of the program is to find solutions to problems of cooperation and to develop models for coordination between different actors in care for older persons: home care, municipal home health care and primary care, which today have different roles in providing care for people with dementia at home.Data and methodThe program uses both quantitative and qualitative methods, including register and survey studies at national level, and the collection and analysis of surveys, interviews and focus groups at local level.Societal relevance and utilizationThe results will be disseminated through scientific channels to practitioners through workshops and seminars aimed at municipalities and regions, and a final program report will be published for decision-makers.

The program will produce evidence-based knowledge about existing social and health care interventions for older people with dementia, focusing on how to develop coordinated care at home.

The fact that the field is unexplored - and that systematic analysis of how dementia care is organized within the Swedish elder care system - means that the program will be able to generate important knowledge that will contribute to development of well-coordinated care for older people with dementia in the future.Plan for project realizationThe program is divided into five work packages. 1) National comparisons - aims to map and compare the performance of care interventions for people with dementia in all municipalities in Sweden. 2) Dementia care in different types of municipalities - aims to identify specific challenges and solutions for organizing dementia care in large cities, medium-sized municipalities and rural municipalities. 3) Well-functioning municipalities - identified in WP1.

Success factors for organizing well-functioning dementia care will be explored in a selection of high-performing municipalities. 4) Summary and implementation of good practice - a summary of the results of the first three work packages. 5) Management and organization - to coordinate and control the program.

The majority of the requested funding is reserved for the salaries of the applicants.

We apply for both junior and senior researchers, as well as funds to organize workshops and seminars for collaboration and dissemination of results.