Improving of and learning in elderly care

First, there is a clear need for continuous competence development in a care sector that is changing due to staff shortages, new staff profiles, higher quality demands and increased use of welfare technology. In Sweden, we see a strong need for learning and improvement that is closely linked to everyday work. This includes work-integrated learning, incorporating support for professional learning and development, strengthen teamwork, and fostering stronger links between practice, education and research. A key idea is that much competence already exists within organizations, but it needs to be better recognized, shared and developed in a more structured way in order to preserve and strengthen the organization’s overall knowledge base.

Second, there is an increasing focus on elderly independence, ageing at home, and the overall service supported by welfare technology and new ways of organizing care. While technology creates many opportunities, there is a shared concern that it should support and not replace human contact and relationships. Independence should not lead to isolation, and social interaction remains essential for care quality. Furthermore, the care quality is not only dependent on staff competence and technology but also on how the organizations and different care providers can coordinate and deliver the service in an effective and efficient way.

From the Swedish point of view, these two areas need to be developed together to support both quality of care and elderly independence. The project is therefore seen as an adult learning project, with a focus on shared team-based learning by practice-based research. From Sweden an important contribution is the focus on work-integrated learning and improvement in everyday practice. The European added value is created through mutual learning between countries and sharing experiences from different local contexts.