Loss of autonomy, a challenging context
As demand for long-term care increases in France due to an aging population, policymakers are facing the necessary task of adapting care and support services to meet the real needs of older people and their relatives (including current and future caregivers).
Framed within this context, the research conducted by Aging UP! aims to determine the extent to which current approaches—in particular, a shift to homecare—meet the expectations of older adults and their relatives, and how adjustments could be made to improve both the well-being of those experiencing loss of autonomy and the sustainability of public policies.
Objectives of the Aging UP! Survey LTC Organization Area
The research carried out seeks to address several objectives:
· Identify the most effective combination models
This involves assessing which types of support (e.g., home or nursing home, professional care services, etc.) best meet the expectations of both older adults and their current or potential caregivers.
· Examine how these preferences vary across contexts
The research examines how these preferences change according to factors such as family circumstances, level of dependency (e.g., in cases of significant physical or cognitive decline), or life events such as widowhood.
· Compare different perspectives
One innovative aspect of our research lies in comparing older adults’ preferences with those of current or future caregivers. This dual perspective makes it possible to pinpoint potential differences and to determine which services or measures could better support caregivers in their day-to-day responsibilities.
· Contribute to public policy debates
The ultimate goal of Aging UP!’s research efforts is to provide policymakers with robust evidence to inform the reorganization of long-term care provision, whether the goal be to:
- improve the quality of nursing homes;
- optimize support for home care; or
- reexamine public resource allocation to better meet the expectations of service users.
Public policies tailored to individual preferences
The results of the “independence” section of the Aging UP! survey will enable us, first, to assess how well public policies align with individual preferences and, second, to compare the preferences of older adults and their caregivers.
This survey relies on a method known as a “discrete choice experiment” (DCE), which provides a robust and reproducible way to identify individuals’ preferences and the trade-offs they are willing to make.
More than 6,000 respondents across France (older adults, caregivers, and future caregivers) took part in the survey during the summer of 2024.
From that fall onward, it has been rolled out successively in the United States (California, Massachusetts, and New York), the Netherlands, and Great Britain, followed by Spain and Italy.
Analyzing the results of the survey will enable us to draw comparisons on an international scale to help guide public policy.
This survey will make it possible to compare the preferences of caregivers and their loved ones, and to establish where these preferences align or differ.