Elder care – the overlooked wicked research field

Elderly care is under pressure for economical, technological and demographic reasons. As part of the health care sector, elderly care is subject to the so-called triple challenges of an aging population, costly technology and rising public expectations.
The expectations regarding amount and quality of public health and care services have increased significantly.

Furthermore, new technology demands or offers (depending on the perspective) profound change in the way welfare services are organized and carried out. In addition, the elder care sector is low in status and innovation capacity, and a new literature review outlines the absense of research in elder care education.

The above exemplifies that the elder care sector is challenged by wicked problems. Wicked problems can not be solved once and for all by mono-disciplines. They require ongoing collaboration and learning due to their unstable character, systemic nature and dependency on various stakeholders

Formålet med projektet

The scientific objective is to systematically explore new inter-disciplinary research issues relevant in the endeavor of solving the wicked problems within elder care. To reach the scientific objective an inter-disciplinary research community is formed, to innovatively transgress established and mono-disciplinary knowledge in research of elder care, thereby clarifying new relevant topics to be governed by research.
Forskningsspørgsmål
  • Which are the most important research questions to adress when forming elderly care as a research area?
  • How can increased research collaboration between various research disciplines and nationalities contribute to identification, framing and reframing of research topics?
  • Which research methods have proved suitability for studying interdisciplinary questions in elderly care and which should be developed?

Projektets metode

The design covers a three year period (2022-25), which is divided into three iterations. Each interation consist of a network meeting, explorative research activities and workshop with external stakeholders.

Hvem deltager?

Aalborg Universitet, Aarhus Universitet, DPU, Nord Universitet, Jönköping Universitet

Projektet er finansieret af Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond.

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Projektet løber fra januar 2022 og forventes afsluttet i udgangen af 2025

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Kontaktoplysninger:

Anja Overgaard Thomassen

Lektor

Aalborg Universitet, Institur for Kultur og Læring

Mail: aot@ikl.aau.dk

Mobil: 22420282