At last year’s International Conference on Integrated Care in Belfast Northern Ireland (ICIC24), the Laurel team led a workshop to gather knowledge and discuss reforms for integrated long-term care (I-LTC).
We are pleased to announce the publication of a report gathering this knowledge together and sharing policy recommendations to improve the experience of I-LTC, based on real experiences from around the world.
Integrated Long-Term Care Services – Opportunities and Challenges Along the Life-Course brings together knowledge gathered at the workshop, where 20 participants discussed access to long-term care and person-centred care, gender and geographical disadvantages, ageism and ableism, the role and support of informal carers, and workforce shortages.
Analysing the discussions, the report authors made the following conclusions:
Care is not accessible
Ageism is a reality in care systems
Workforce wellbeing needs to be prioritised
Gender bias plays a significant role in recruitment
Informal carers are undervalued
The authors suggest policy actions including developing funding pathways that require collaboration betweek healthcare, social care, and local government authorities, reframing care as a valuable and skilled profession, and promoting a more inclusive narrative around ageing.