STRATEGIES FOR AN AGING POPULATION - EXPANDING THE PRIORITIES DISCUSSION

The growing number of oldest old has increased the need for social ser vices and medical care in many countries during the last decade. These needs have been met with various strategies to make more effective an d efficient use of resources. In many ways these changes have been suc cessful, but at the same time the amount of success correlates negativ ely to the potential for further gains. That is, when the slack in the system has been drawn in, it is doubtful whether further gains can be made with these strategies. So what can be done if the public resourc es are restricted and needs continue to increase? Adequate solutions w ill require a wide perspective encompassing all the various services n eeded by elderly people. Decisions made in one sector necessarily have repercussions in other service areas. It is also essential to recogni ze the differences between sectors; guidelines and strategies develope d within the medical sector are not always applicable in the social se rvices sector. With Sweden as an example, the organizational and admin istrative changes that have occurred during the last decades are prese nted along with arguments for extending the discussion of strategies a nd priorities to include all kinds of service to the elderly populatio n.