Years of the research: 2015 - 2017
Country: Lithuania
Language: Lithuanian
Keywords:
Abstract:
During implementation of the project possibilities for the development of the elderly care sector were evaluated from a dualistic perspective, i.e. that of service consumers and service providers. Accordingly was set the aim of the project: to reveal the contradiction between the peculiarities of social care services for the elderly need (demand) and the aspiration to improve the quality of employment of the persons which supply these services, to ensure jobs in the care sector and to put forward the proposals how to reduce that discrepancy. Following activities were carried out during implementation of the project: analysis of the employment models in social services sector in the broader labor market and social welfare development contexts in the selected EU countries and Lithuania; analysis of transformation in the elderly care sector in Lithuania; development of the methodologies and carrying out of three empirical surveys: a) representative Omnibus survey of 50-65 years old population (over 1200 respondents interviewed); b) representative survey of home help service providers (over 400 respondents interviewed); c) semi-standardized interview of informal caregivers caring for their family members (20 interviews); comparison of consumer expectations and organizational, technical, qualification abilities of service providers to satisfy these expectations; identification of the mismatch between care services supply and demand as well as development of recommendations.
Researchers:
Type of research: national
Target group: 50-65 years old population, Home help service providers, Informal caregivers caring for their family members
Sample:
Quantitative research – representative Omnibus survey, standardized questionnaire, 33 questions. Quantitative research – representative sociological survey, standardized questionnaire, 50 questions for home help workers. Qualitative research – face-to-face interviews, semi-standardized guidelines. Sample of representative Omnibus survey of 50-65 years old population: 1205 respondents of this age group. Sample of home help workers study: 421 home help workers working in municipal or private home care services. Sample of qualitative research: 20 interviews with informal caregivers.
Aims/Objectives/Background:
To reveal the contradiction between the peculiarities of social care services for the elderly need (demand) and the aspiration to improve the quality of employment of the persons which supply these services, to ensure jobs in the care sector and to put forward the proposals how to reduce that discrepancy.
Findings/outcome/conclusion/research questions:
Summarising the research carried out as well as the main conclusions and recommendations thereof one may conclude, that during implementation of the project several contradictions in the development of elderly care sector were identified both – in the area of users expectations and current system of elderly care and in the area of working conditions of elderly care sector employees as well as in the development of informal care. In the result of the project implementation institutional structure of the elderly care sector and its developments in the EU and Lithuania were evaluated as well as future perspectives of the sector identified. The concept and development trends of elderly care sector were analysed in relation with four recently relevant directions: deinstitutionalization, development of integrated home help services, direct cash payments instead of the services, establishment of long-term care system. After analysis of the employment patterns used in social services sector all-over Europe, main types of employment models were developed and described; main bottleneck for and the tendencies of their development in Lithuania were identified.
Financed by: This research was funded by a grant (No. GER-012/2015) from the Research Council of Lithuania. This research was performed in cooperation with Lithuanian Social Research Centre.
Contact person: Laimutė Žalimienė, Vilnius University Faculty of Philosophy, e-mail: laima.zalimiene@fsf.vu.lt / Jolita Junevičienė, Lithuanian Social Research Centre, Phone: +370 5 249 16 01. E-mail: jolita.juneviciene@lstc.lt.
Copyright
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