Tove Harnett
Senior lecturer | PhD in Social Work
Introducing an equal rights framework for older persons in residential care
Author
Summary, in English
This article reconceptualizes residential care for older persons by introducing a framework developed from a rights-based principle of disability policies, the normalization principle. This principle is part of the social model and states that society should make available for people who have impairments living conditions that are as close as possible to those of “others.” Using the framework on the case of eldercare in Sweden shows that although disability policies have used people without impairments as a comparative (external) reference group for claiming rights, eldercare policies use internal reference groups, basing comparisons on other care users. The article highlights the need for external comparisons in eldercare and suggests that the third age, which so far has been a normative reference group for older people, could be a comparative reference group when older persons in need of care claim rights to equal conditions.
Department/s
- School of Social Work
- Ageing and Eldercare
Publishing year
2016
Language
English
Pages
800-806
Publication/Series
The Gerontologist
Volume
56
Issue
5
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Topic
- Gerontology, specializing in Medical and Health Sciences
Status
Published
Project
- Improving everyday conditions by reconceptualising elder care through the lense of disability policies
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1758-5341