Integrating health and social care services for older persons. Evidence from nine European countries

“Providing Integrated Health and Social Care for Older Persons (PROCARE)” is a

project in the EU Fifth Framework Programme (Quality of Life and Management of

Living Resources, Area “The Ageing Population and Disabilities”) which aims to help

in defi ning the new concept of an integrated health and social care for older persons

in need of care by comparing and evaluating different modes of care delivery.

Following the publication of a fi rst book published in March 2004, the current volume

on “Integrating Health and Social Care Services for Older Persons. Evidence from

Nine European Countries” will draw on the achievements of the second project phase

(2003-2004) that consisted in empirical fi eldwork and a cross-national analysis of

model ways of working in the nine participating EU Member States (Austria, Denmark,

Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK).

The book underpins the more general national and European considerations gathered

in the project with empirical fi ndings analysed in a trans-national perspective. Its

chapters have been written by “internationally mixed” teams and will thus contribute

to the development of a truly European perspective, providing:

• a unique general overview on European approaches towards integrated social

and health care services and policies that are to be developed to face the growing

need of care in ageing societies;

• indicators for successful approaches and models of good practice to overcome

the “social-health-divide”;

• better understanding of the meaning of integrated services and the coordination

of social and health systems in the different countries;

• facts and fi gures about coordination at the interface between health and social

care for older persons;

• as well as problems and solutions (“lessons to learn”) concerning regulation and

coordination.