Definitions of integrated care from the stakeholder perspective

The importance of providing integrated, holistic, and cohesive primary care for older people has been increasingly emphasied in recent policy initiatives and directives (Barletett, 1999; Johri et al., 2003). In many parts of the western world health and social services have been organised by different organisations, and even fragmented inside sectors to smaller caregiver units. For sometime now there has been a realisation that it is more effective for all stakeholders that care is integrated into a single whole, with a smoother and more consistent coordination of the service network (Eng et al., 1997; Watt et al., 1999; Truman/Triska, 2001; Hidson/Henwood, 2002, Schwab et al., 2003).