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Priorities in care and services for elderly people: a path without guidelines?
A Bergmark1, M G Parker, M Thorslund
1Stockholm University, Sweden.
Journal of Medical Ethics
|October 31, 2000
Summary
Sweden faces resource allocation challenges in its welfare sector, particularly in elderly care, due to an aging population. Prioritizing resources requires explicit values and conscious decision-making for efficiency and justice.
Area of Science:
- Public Administration
- Social Policy
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Increasing demand for government services in Sweden strains resources.
- Rapid population aging exacerbates resource allocation pressures, especially in elderly care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze resource allocation decisions and priorities within Sweden's welfare sector, focusing on elderly care.
- To describe the political and administrative context and conceptualize the challenges of resource distribution.
Main Methods:
- Identification and discussion of various decision-making levels and political accountability.
- Analysis of current transitions in elderly care, including service provision, marketization, coverage, and eligibility.
- Examination of distribution principles, efficiency, and justice in resource allocation.
Main Results:
- Identified key decision-making levels and their accountability structures.
- Described shifts in elderly care services, market influences, and access standards.
- Highlighted principles of distribution, efficiency, and justice relevant to prioritization.
Conclusions:
- Advocates for more deliberate and conscious resource allocation decisions in public services.
- Emphasizes the need to utilize existing knowledge on strategy effects and make prioritization values explicit.
Keywords:
Health Care and Public Health