Abstract
Aging of population and increasing needs for long-term and multimorbid health services create significant challenges in shaping and ensuring economically and socially efficient health system (EU, 2017; De Maeseneer, Boeckxstaens, 2012). As there is considerable diversity in the perception of the challenges from the perspective of the system to which the citizen is addressing, good cooperation and compatibility are the key (EPF, 2017; EC, 2018). Specifically, the health system is more focused on addressing acute conditions while the social system is more focused on long-term care. On the other hand, it is not always possible to provide services at specialist level, especially for the elderly and those with limited access to these services. The diversity of professionals involved in health and social work contributes to facilitating as well as addressing the challenges of different populations, but there is a significant challenge in ensuring comprehensive and accessible care, sustainable transfer of knowledge, practices, approaches and working methods.
European project CrossCare - Integrated Approach for older adults in their home, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, is an innovative example of international and multidisciplinary collaboration. Project had an intention to provide economically and socially relevant services and empower older people in making decisions about their health and well-being through inter-dynamic collaboration of different professionals (nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, social workers, nutritionists). Idea was that thorugh multidisciplinary and international collaboration during the CrossCare project activities, the exchange of evidence-based good practices and encouraging the development of competencies of experts involved in targeted care (De Maeseneer, Boeckxstaens, 2012) we ensure the development of a sustainable system based on excellence. Project activities also ensured development guidelines for standardized delivery of integrated care in the primary care population at their home. As the activities involved the engagement of existing partner employees, the possibility of generalizing of achieved objectives to various other populations who already use the services provided by partners as standard in the health and social care system increased.
The aim of the paper is to present a policy strategy for the implementation of integrated care, multidisciplinary collaboration between a nurse, physical therapist and occupational therapist in integrated care, and the benefit of the CrossCare project for citizens of the City of Zagreb.