The social and health care coordination for people in situations of dependency: view from health care and social services

Abstract

Coordination between social and healthcare remains one of the most important challenges in today's society, being necessary and urgent to provide comprehensive care for the elderly, chronically ill patients with limited personal autonomy or require intensive professional assistance. This would ensure a higher quality of care offered, resources and, most importantly be optimized, improve the quality of life of citizens. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to offer a deepening of coordination, integration and collaboration of social and health resources in a scenario in which the increase in demand for social care professionals and health field, the result of the accelerated process aging, and the current financial crisis, require the adoption of a model of socio coordination to advance a more effective care. To which will be held, first, the study of the coverage by the protective action of national health and social services has been given to all needs that dependents face and their caregivers. Secondly, it addresses one of the issues of greatest concern to both national and European experts and politicians from several decades: the necessary care coordination of care for people with chronic diseases or dependency status, identifying different proposals to the failures found and manifest error. Finally, as a final thought, in addition to identifying good practices recently adopted, the threats currently undertaken policies are exposed are set.