ELDER CARE AGENCY

Italian elderly population is already quite high and likely to increase in the next years. In terms of welfare, that means that the theme of elderly and non self-sufficient care will be even more important and not without critical issues. Today, albeit with some regional differences, our care system sees families as primary caregivers and is characterizes by the important presence of family private caregivers, women for the most part, to those families delegate some of the care tasks. This solution carries some problems regarding the care quality level, the working relationship between families and caregivers, the (emotional and economic) “load” for family members, problems that the current economic crisis threatens to increase exponentially.

Hence the choice to design a project about the experimentation of an Elder Care Agency, a one stop shop that functions as reference point for families and caregivers in a territory over the entire care process (information, training and professional qualification, matching, subsequent technical and relational support). An integrated model, then, that stays also in constant contact and networking with local institutions (Municipal District, Local Health Agency) and the public and private care services (social cooperatives, associations, voluntary organisations).

The project’s objectives are therefore a) to qualify the private elderly care, reducing the black market and improving the quality level for the benefit of seniors, families (caregivers) and family assistants and b) to test a new model of intervention (Elder Care Agency) in this field. The specific objectives are the reduction of irregular contracting rates in private care, the creation of a coordinated system of supports and protections for families and assistants, the development of an integrated service network related to the Agency, the improvement of the overall quality of the support provided to elderly and families.

The project started in January 2013 and will end in June 2014. It is promoted by ACLI Lombardia, in collaboration with the Cinisello Balsamo District (location of the project’s activities), the social cooperative Family and Surroundings, the research institute Association for Social Research and with the economic support of Fondazione Cariplo.

Additional information: http://qualificare.info/home.php?id=644

On the issue of non self-sufficiency: http://qualificare.info/home.php?id=644

Contact: Giuseppe Imbrogno – ACLI Lombardia