Care and support in later life: A study on the dynamics of care networks of frail, community-dwelling older adults. (Evenement)

Description

Ageing-in-place policies nowadays endorse the need to arrange and deliver strength-based, person-centred and integrated care at the local level. In order to meet this changing view on health and social care for frail, older adults, a more positive and comprehensive approach towards frailty needs to be adopted. Furthermore, frailty should be considered as a dynamic process as older adults’ strengths and resources (cf. balancing factors) can decrease negative experiences of frailty and increase positive outcomes.
By using a multidimensional approach for frailty, an ethics of care perspective and the convoy of care model, this dissertation contributes to a comprehensive view on care relationships and broader care needs of frail, community-dwelling older adults. Analyses of 65 qualitative interviews from the D-SCOPE project provide insights into frail, older care recipients’ experiences of positive outcomes (e.g. mastery, life satisfaction) and the use of the convoy of care model. Furthermore, this study examines the diversity in care convoys’ structure with quantitative data from the Belgian Ageing Studies (BAS). Finally, care convoys as balancing factor in the relationship between multidimensional frailty and wellbeing are studied with quantitative data from the D-SCOPE frailty program.
The dissertation concludes with recommending policy and practice to use the ‘frailty balance’ and to acknowledge the complexity of care convoys. Also, care and support should be conceptualised as relationship-based, while recognising care recipients as active members of their care convoy.

Periode	2018
Evenementstitel	Care and support in later life: A study on the dynamics of care networks of frail, community-dwelling older adults.
Evenementstype	Doctoraatsverdediging
Locatie	Brussels, Belgium