La diversificación y consolidación de los servicios sociales para las personas mayores en España y Suecia / Diversification and strengthening of services for older people in Spain and Sweden

La información sobre los servicios públicos para las personas mayores a menudo se limita a la atención residencial y a la ayuda a domicilio. Sin embargo, estos servicios básicos son en muchos países complementados o sustituidos por otros servicios de menor envergadura, como el transporte, comidas a domicilio, teleasistencia y centros de día. Esta diversificación partió de un racionamiento de los servicios para lograr una asignación más racional de los recursos y, si se podía, un menor gasto. En este trabajo se utilizan diversos datos sobre estos servicios en España y Suecia. Cuando se consideran todos los cuidados, la cobertura de atención es mucho mayor que si sólo se contemplan los servicios básicos. Esto indica una mayor consolidación de los mismos. Los datos sugieren mayor focalización en Suecia, y prestaciones fragmentadas en España, donde parece que los usuarios alcanzan lo disponible, con poca diferenciación entre sus necesidades. Cuando las tasas de cobertura son superiores, como en Suecia, hay mayor solapamiento entre el cuidado familiar y los servicios públicos. Con tasas más bajas, como en España, los cuidados familiares y los servicios públicos son sustitutos unos de otros. Se sugiere que una mayor diversidad de servicios, básicos y secundarios, puede adaptarse mejor y de manera más eficiente a las diversas necesidades de las personas mayores que la elección entre ningún servicio, ayuda domiciliaria o atención residencial. Aunque estos servicios secundarios también puedan ser utilizados como un sustituto de bajo coste, e inferior calidad, en la atención(AU)

Information on public services for older people is often limited to institutional care and Home Help/Home Care, be it for individuals in surveys, statistics for a specific country or for international comparisons. Yet, these two major services are in many countries supplemented – or substituted – by other, minor services. The latter include services such as transportation services, meals-on-wheels, alarm systems and day care. This diversification is the outcome of a rationing of services to achieve a more rational allocation of resources and attempts to keep down costs. In this presentation we use various data sources to provide information on all these types of support for Spain and Sweden. When all of them are considered, service coverage is much higher than by basic services alone, indicating further consolidation of services. Data suggests a high targeting in Sweden, but fragmented delivery in Spain, where – we suspect - users get what is available, with little differentiation between needs. With higher service rates, as in Sweden, there is greater overlap between family care and public services; with lower coverage rates, as in Spain, family care and public services are more often substituted for each other. It is suggested that a range of services, major and minor, may suit the varying needs of older people better – and more efficiently - than the choice between nothing, Home Help or institutional care, but that minor services may also be used as an inexpensive – and sometimes inferior - substitute for full support(AU)

[Diversification and strengthening of services for older people in Spain and Sweden]. / La diversificación y consolidación de los servicios sociales para las personas mayores en España y Suecia.

Information on public services for older people is often limited to institutional care and Home Help/Home Care, be it for individuals in surveys, statistics for a specific country or for international comparisons. Yet, these two major services are in many countries supplemented - or substituted - by other, minor services. The latter include services such as transportation services, meals-on-wheels, alarm systems and day care. This diversification is the outcome of a rationing of services to achieve a more rational allocation of resources and attempts to keep down costs. In this presentation we use various data sources to provide information on all these types of support for Spain and Sweden. When all of them are considered, service coverage is much higher than by basic services alone, indicating further consolidation of services. Data suggests a high targeting in Sweden, but fragmented delivery in Spain, where - we suspect-users get what is available, with little differentiation between needs. With higher service rates, as in Sweden, there is greater overlap between family care and public services; with lower coverage rates, as in Spain, family care and public services are more often substituted for each other. It is suggested that a range of services, major and minor, may suit the varying needs of older people better - and more efficiently-than the choice between nothing, Home Help or institutional care, but that minor services may also be used as an inexpensive - and sometimes inferior-substitute for full support.

Motivaciones y expectativas de los estudiantes mayores de 55 años en los programas universitarios / University seniors programs: reasons for joining and expectations among persons older than 55 years

Objetivos: en la actualidad, miles de personas mayores participan en España en los programas universitarios para mayores. Las mejores condiciones de vida, el aumento de la esperanza de vida y un mayor acceso a la educación primaria son, entre otros, los factores que han propiciado que un numeroso grupo de personas mayores demanden cada vez más programas de formación y otras actividades de ocio activo. El presente trabajo examina las expectativas expresadas por los mayores que participan en programas universitarios. Material y métodos: los datos del estudio provienen de una muestra de 400 alumnos mayores de 55 años que participaron en el Programa Universitario La Nau Gran de la Universitat de València durante los cursos académicos 2002-2003 y 2003-2004. La metodología mixta utilizada incluye técnicas cualitativas (grupo de discusión y entrevistas en profundidad) así como cuantitativas (encuesta sociológica). Resultados: los resultados obtenidos con ambas metodologías indican que los principales motivos aducidos por los mayores de 55 años para participar por primera vez como estudiantes en la Universidad son: mejorar la cultura, sentirse activos, hacer algo nuevo, mejorar la calidad de vida y conocer gente nueva. Los resultados de este estudio coinciden y corroboran los resultados de investigaciones anteriores desarrolladas en los países del entorno europeo y de Estados Unidos

Objectives: at present, thousands of adults are attending the different university programs for seniors in Spain. Better living conditions, increased life expectancy, and greater access to primary education are among the factors contributing to the higher demand for educational programs and other leisure activities among older adults. The present study examines the preferences and expressed motivations of older students enrolled in university programs. Material and methods: data were drawn from a sample of 400 students, aged 55 years and older, participating in a university seniors program entitled La Nau Gran at the University of Valencia in the 2002 and 2003 academic years. The methodology included qualitative methods (focus groups and in-depth interviews) and quantitative methods (standard survey). Results: the results obtained by both methodologies showed that the main motivations of older students for attending the university program for the first time were to gain broader knowledge, feel active, do something new, increase quality of life, and meet new people. The results of this study are similar to those of previous studies and confirm the findings of other research carried out in Europe and the USA