Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

In order to develop innovative peer-to-peer care services for older people, a better understanding and conceptualization of the heterogenic nature of informal peer-to-peer care practices is vital. Less traditional ways of accommodating care for older people are put forward in this poster. Peer-to-peer services enabled through digital technology, which connects older people and enable mobilizing their resources is one innovative creation for care provision. In developing services to enhance already existing informal care structures among older people, a better understanding and conceptualization of such peer-to-peer care practices are vital. This study explores peer-to-peer care practices between older people from the perspective of older individuals. Semi-structured interviews ranging from 30-120 minutes (mean= 59 minutes) were carried out with total of 30 participants (17 women and 13 men) aged 67-93 years (mean= 76 years) in one larger city and two smaller towns/rural municipalities in Sweden. Tentative findings indicate that peer-to-peer care practices between older people entails a range of different actions of support and care, and not solely hands on care. Instead, everyday peer-to-peer care practices may be understood as providing a highly flexible recognition of varied care needs. For peer-to-peer care services aimed to enhance already existing informal care structures to be successful, the heterogenic nature of both need and ability among older people to provide and receive peer-to-peer care must be considered.