Abstract
Summary: In the Netherlands, as in other developed countries, older adults are encouraged to self-manage their illnesses and use the support of family, friends and volunteers. These informal caregivers work together with formal care providers in the care network to improve the quality of life and perceived health of older adults with their support..
The aim of the study was to gain more insight into the use of network mechanisms in daily practice. We focused on navigation to resources, negotiation between participants, and contagion of ideas and behaviours. In three studies we explored the current functioning of care networks of home-dwelling older adults. The results of these studies were used to develop and test a training programme and tools for formal care providers.
Background: Formal care providers rarely go beyond mapping the existing care network and do not look at network interactions consciously. They fail to harness the potential of the network of organisations available to older adults. When they take network-related actions, actions are mostly incident-driven and a response to life events.
Aims and Objectives: This workshop offers a conceptual framework to analyse the functioning of the care network of a home-dwelling older adult. This analysis on negotiation, navigation and contagion makes clear where improvement is possible. In addition to a dialogue about the theoretical background of network mechanisms, we show some practical exercises and tools from the training we developed. The tools enable formal care providers to analyse network interactions and outcomes. Specific tools were designed to negotiate in the care network or navigate to new support in the neighbourhood.
Target audience: We developed a training programme to help formal care providers (in particular (geriatric) nurses and social workers) improve the functioning of the care network in order to generate more effective support. The workshop targets professionals and researchers working with home-dwelling chronic patients.
Facilitators / speakers:
Wendy Kemper-Koebrugge is the main speaker and facilitator of the workshop. As PhD-trainee she conducted the research and developed the training and tools presented in this workshop.
Miranda Laurant is co-facilitator of the workshop. She hold the professorship in Organisation of Healthcare and Social Services at the HAN University of Applied Sciences.
An older adult, Joke Nijenhuis-van Weert was volunteer co-researcher for 5 years. A short movie will be shown in which she will bring in her perspective.
Format:
15 minutes: Introduction conceptual framework ‘Functioning of the care network’
15 minutes: Group work: exercise analysing the functioning of the care network.
15 minutes: Introduction tools on negotiation and navigation
30 minutes: Group work: experimenting with tools
15 minutes: Plenary discussion: reflection on the impact on care networks of home-dwelling older adults
Key Learnings: This workshop shows that analysing the functioning of the care network is helpful to see possibilities for network improvement. Formal care providers can translate negotiation and navigation into network-related action and reflect on their actions in terms of contribution to the health and quality of life of an older adult.