social innovation

Social innovations in long-term care (LTC) may be useful in more effective responses to the challenges of population aging for Western societies. One of the most investigated aspects in this regard is the role of family/informal care and strategies to improve its integration into the formal care system, yielding a more holistic care approach that may enhance opportunities for aging in place. This article reports the findings of a comparative research focusing on the Italian and Israeli LTC systems as representative of the Mediterranean "family-based" care model.

This research moves from the general hypothesis that assistance provided to a person needing support, and the effort needed to articulate work and care may, under certain conditions, become a factor in carers' inequality and vulnerability. The article presents the results of qualitative research conducted in Quebec, Canada, with carers of older people who also have full-time paid employment in the labour market, and on professionals providing these carers with services. It considers how the services offered to carers have been implemented and how they can affect carers' daily lives.