33 News
Can we break the isolation? Experiences of digital tools in elderly care in three Swedish municipalities
Loneliness and social isolation pose significant challenges for older people living alone and in nursing homes by affecting their physical and mental health. Due to requirements for self-isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, these challenges have been further exacerbated. The use of digital technology in elderly care has the potential to combat social isolation, for example, by increasing access to home care and providing opportunities to participate in social activities. Nevertheless, previous knowledge about the efficiency of digital interventions to counteract the loneliness of older people is limited. The new report investigates how caregivers have dealt with the challenges of loneliness and social isolation of the elderly population during the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on the use of digital technologies. The aim was also to understand better how digital tools can be used in a socially inclusive way in elderly care. The research method consisted of semi-structured interviews with municipal officials, senior care managers and senior care staff in three case study municipalities (Huddinge, Eskilstuna and Storuman). In addition, older adults who live in nursing homes and at home with support efforts such as home care were interviewed, and a mapping analysis of the case study municipalities was carried out. The transcribed interview material was analysed using a qualitative manifest content analysis method. According to the interview results in the three case study municipalities, the pandemic has not been a considerable driving force for a digital transformation in elderly care. In all municipalities, they had started working on certain digitisation efforts even before the pandemic broke out in the spring of 2020. With the pandemic, they had to make quick and courageous decisions, and the municipalities also received state grants that enabled digital investments, such as the purchase of digital equipment. In addition, the elderly care staff supported the elderly using digital…
2022 December
- Report
- Nordic Region
- Digitalisation
- Governance
- Health and wellbeing
Nordregio Magazine
Each issue of the Nordregio Magazine provides perspectives on a specific theme related to regional development and planning in the Nordic countries. With Nordregio Magazine you are kept up to date with the interesting research results produced by Nordregio in a European and global perspective.
2022 January
- Nordregio magazine
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The Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2017-2020
With this document, Nordregio provides a final status of the professional work for the activities across and within the Thematic Groups after four years and three months of the Nordic Cooperation Programme for Regional Development and Planning (NCP-RDP). In this final report, one will find an overview of the projects carried out by each TG, including a brief abstract of achieved results. Links to further details are provided for each of the projects.
2021 May
- Other publications
- Cross-border
- Nordic Region
- Arctic issues
- Bioeconomy
- Covid-19
- Digitalisation
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- Gender equality
- Governance
- Green transition
- Integration
- Labour market
- Maritime spatial planning
- Migration
- Regional innovation
- Rural development
- Sustainable development
- Tourism
- Urban planning
Digital Health Care and Social Care – Regional development impacts in the Nordic countries
Health care and social care are not only important aspects of the Nordic welfare state model. The development of those sectors also has an important impact on the regional development and sustainability(economically, socially and environmentally) in the Nordic Region. The use of digital solutions in both sectors is increasing across all the Nordic countries. However, in relation to the ambitious goals set out in national digitalisation and eHealth strategies, digitalisation in health care and social care can be seen to have been developing at a relatively moderate pace. This research is part of the Health care and care with distance-spanning solutions project initiated and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.The aim of this research has been to explore the effects and potential benefits to regional development, and to address the various obstaclesfacing digitalisation in health care and social care throughout the Region.In addition to literature reviews of the different health care systems, digitalisation in the health care and social care sectors and how theselink to regional development, case studies have been conducted in one region and municipality in each of the Nordic Region’s five states (Sweden,Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) and in two of the self-governing territories (the Faroe Islands and Greenland). These case studies include interviews with senior management, project leaders and health care and social care workers. An accessibility analysis has also been conducted with a view to understanding how access to health care and social care can be improved by digital solutions in these sectors.
2020 October
- Digitalisation
- Green transition