On 18th November 2014, AGE supported Eurodiaconia and Eurohealthnet in organizing an event in the Committee of the regions on ‘Quality integrated care’. The objective of the event was to reflect on benefits and challenges of developing integrated care services, promote mutual learning and examine what further work could be carried out at EU level in this field.
The event was an excellent opportunity to remind key principles and goals for the implementation of integrated health and social care. It was also reminded that developing integrated care takes time and efforts which can give excellent results in the long term, both for professionals and for end users. AGE experts continued the exchange of practices and ideas within a joint Task Forces on healthy and dignified ageing meeting on 19th November.
The conference started with two testimonies showing the perspectives of older persons and informal carers, by Judy Trianfallou and Frank Goodwin from Eurocarers. The testimonies showed to the participants essential principles and reasons why integrated care can bring positive results for the quality of life of older persons and their families, as well as key challenges for end users regarding access to care and support services.
Testimonies were followed by the introduction of integrated care practices in Scotland (SmartCare project) and in France (the MAIA integrated care approach). The conference was then opened to an institutional panel composed of representatives from DG SANCO, DG EMPL, WHO, the European Parliament and the EESC, which showed the variety of policy initiative supporting the development of integrated care, but which would gain in working more closely together to achieve quality integrated care services in the EU.
The results from the conference were introduced in the European Poverty Convention the following days.
More information at https://eurodiaconia.org/our-work/policy-areas/healthy-ageing-and-elderly-care or contact Maude Luherne, Project and policy officermaude.luherne@age-platform.eu.
