CO-DIAC: CO-Designing person-centred and Integrated health and social care in residential Aged Care: development and evaluation of a new working method
Short description
The aim with this project is to co-design and evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness and relevance of a new working method for person-centred and integrated residential aged care. The project involves persons living in residential aged care facilities, relatives, and health and social care staff and managers. Within the project, both qualitative and quantitative methods are used, grounded in collaboration with all involved actors.
Overarching goal
The project runs over four years and is interdisciplinary with a co-design approach, designed in collaboration with the Administration for the elderly, nursing and care in the City of Gothenburg.
The project addresses experienced needs among the target groups through the long-term goal of improving the utilisation of resources, and to support meaningful improvements in residential aged care facilities. The co-design approach aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, with the goal to generate both scientific and societal value through contributing to innovation and best practice to meet the complex needs of an ageing population.
Progress
The first phase of the co-design process has been completed. This phase included six focus groups with healthcare and social care staff, as well as workshops involving older persons, relatives, and healthcare and social care staff. The work has resulted in a preliminary working method for person-centred and integrated care in residential aged care, as well as two manuscripts that are planned for submission to scientific journals in 2026: one focusing on staff experiences of integrated care and support, and another describing the co-creation process that forms part of the co-design of the working method. The next phase of the project is planned to begin in autumn/winter 2026–2027 and will involve a feasibility study to evaluate the preliminary working method before proceeding to a larger intervention study.
Collaboration
- Institute of Health and Care Sciences
- The Department of Social Work
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Äldre samt vård och omsorgsförvaltningen, City of Gothenburg