The overarching theme of the congress is population ageing as a global phenomenon that is already changing the world, and the impact of population ageing on care needs and care policies in the future. In addition, the congress discusses the measures and policy tools needed to ensure high-quality care for older people. Within the multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare, www.jyu.fi/agecare) population ageing has been studied in connection to health and socioeconomic status of older people, agency and social wellbeing, care policies, disability policies, formal and informal care, care workforce, digitalization of care work and use of technology by older people, as well as ethnic diversification of older people and care workers. We study these questions from the perspective of welfare systems taking into account cultural, socio-economic, regional, national, and global perspectives.
The mid-term congress offers researchers interested in the above-mentioned topics an opportunity to present their research results in this multidisciplinary congress. Another aim of the congress is to offer researchers an opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen existing research networks and build new ones. Third important aim of the congress is to provide an arena to develop ideas and research collaboration for the future. We invite contributions from researchers working within the CoE AgeCare and our collaborators, but welcome also contributions from research groups and researchers who are not affiliated to the CoE AgeCare.
The congress program includes invited speakers and thematic groups, and ample time for general discussions and smaller gatherings.
Thematic groups are: 1) population ageing and care needs and inequalities, 2) agency and self-determination of older people, 3) diversification, rehybridization and digitalisation of care work.
In the thematic group presentations the presenters are asked to describe the background of their study, aims, results and conclusions. The presenters are also requested to describe the expected policy implications of their studies, the topics that should be studied in the future and the theories and methods suggested. In each thematic group two moderators lead the discussions. The moderators s the key findings, key policy aspects, and key future directions for the general discussion taking place on Friday 17th June. On Friday 17th June (in the morning session), the work of all thematic groups will be summarized, and commented by the invited commentators.
An important part of the programme for the Friday is the general discussion that will address the following questions: What have we learned so far about population ageing, care, and care policies? What needs to be done to meet care needs of the older people, to provide high-quality care and enable care workers to conduct their work according to care ethics and without compromising their own wellbeing. What kind of policies are needed? What is the role of technology and digitalization as a solution or a challenge for meeting the care needs of older people? And finally, how does migration and cultural and ethnic diversification of older people and care workers contribute to the topics mentioned above?
Apart from pondering responses to these timely questions, the general discussion addresses future developments and research avenues, asking what research topics and questions should be focused on and what theories and methods are needed in the future.
PDF Programme with thematic sessions: CoEAgeCare Midterm 2022 Programme and sessions
PLEASE NOTE A QUICK CHANGE OF ROOMS: Thematic sessions 3, 7 and 11 will be held in F115 Auditorium.
Thematic groups description:
1) Population ageing and care needs and inequalities
This group covers firstly the demographic trend of population ageing and development in health and functional abilities of older people, (and) ethnic heterogenization of the older population, and the care needs of ethnic minorities. Secondly, the group covers research on the development of old-age care policies overlapping social and health care policies, and the role of digitalization in policy development. Thirdly, the group looks at the studies on research on unmet care needs and care poverty of older population among diverse groups of older people and their close ones. Thus the group addresses population ageing, health trends and care needs of older population, as well access to care, and the unbalance between needs and formal/informal care provision.
2) Agency and self-determination of older people
This group addresses research on opportunities and constraints of older people to make choices and exercise self-determination throughout the life course. These opportunities and constraints are linked to social structures and policies which are currently undergoing substantial changes. Thematic group covers research analyzing the agency of diverse groups of older people and their significant others in decision-making in various aspects of daily life such as health maintenance, care and housing arrangements, social participation, volunteering, and peer support. In addition, this group covers research on the applicability of the framework of Independent Living created by disability movement, in care of older people. Thirdly, this group covers research on digitalization in older people’s daily lives and how older people and their significant others, including migrant families and translocal families, use new digital technologies in the above mentioned diverse fields of daily lives.
3) Diversification, rehybridization and digitalisation of care work
The group addresses recent national and global development trends in care work. The topics covered include rehybridization of care work that refers to development of new models of care provision, and their outcomes for older people, family members and care workers. The new models of care provision combine formal and informal care, and/or public, private and third sector providers, in different parts of the world. Second, the group covers research on growing ethnic diversity of care workers and the development of new hierarchies among the workforce in the context of changing concepts of professionalism and professional knowledge in care work. Thirdly, the thematic group addresses the pervasive trend of digitalization of care work and its influence on the nature of care work. The topics included are various digital technologies, applications and tools used in public, private and semi-formal care, and care workers views on technology-driven changes in their work.