Demystifying eldercare: Managing and innovating from a public-entity's perspective

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to help managers in public positions make better sense out of the exponential developments currently surfacing in eldercare. This industry has been blessed and cursed by its rapid development; blessed as there is a plethora of both technological and service type innovations, but cursed because there is so much development that trying to understand, organize, and stay updated with it all becomes nearly impossible. This article will help demystify these innovations, making it easier for public organizations to manage this process. A review of the literature yielded 1384 relevant hits, 207 articles had substantial relevance, and 67 articles were selected as fitting within the framework of this study. We found that when these 67 articles are reviewed together, in the framework of eldercare, and from the lens of a public-entity, a typology for managing innovation within eldercare emerges. When viewing eldercare in this framework, suddenly managing eldercare innovation becomes simpler as one can understand where existing and new developments fit within the overall system. The core of this typology is contingent on maintaining an appropriate balance between three facets; the quality of care, the working environment, and societal efficiency. This balance is extremely important as these three facets are generally inversely proportional to each other. When a problem or opportunity emerges within a municipality, managers can now predetermine the impact that the proposed solution will have on the overall system, and likely make better decisions on what to invest in.

Keywords:

• Eldercare
• Geriatrics
• Innovation
• Literature review
• Management
• Public policy

Acknowledgments

This research was funded solely by HiST.

I would like to first thank HiST, NTNU, and the Norwegian Research School of Innovation – Program in Innovation Management and Innovation Strategy (NORSI-PIMS) for their unyielding support throughout my research. Additionally, I would like to give a special thanks to Alf Steinar Sætre and Sigrid Nakrem, for their contributions. Lastly, I would like to thank the NORSI-PIMS PhD candidates for the clarity they have provided me in my research.