Future Care Planning for and by Older Adults Living in the Community: A Scoping Review

In this scoping review, our aim was to compile empirical studies, outside of an institutionalized care context, that discuss future care planning (FCP) at old age for and by older adults living in the community. We define FCP as planning behaviours and decisions made in anticipation of a forthcoming period of life in which comprehensive care and support (i.e., financial, emotional, instrumental, and personal) become necessary due to aging and declining health. The search was conducted in eight databases and was limited to empirical papers published in English between 2000 and 2023. Only 12 articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The included studies were analysed narratively. The results were structured around six themes: (i) plans about who will provide care in the future when one no longer has the ability to do so themselves; (ii) plans about future housing and living arrangements; (iii) future financial planning; (iv) plans related to future health issues; (v) values communication as a means for planning; and (vi) the impact of formal care systems on FCP. Results highlight significant variability in how FCP is approached and call for further studies on this topic in light of not only demographic changes but also due to contextual differences in care provision and care expectations.