Reshaping Eldercare Towards New Professions

Abstract

The impacts of global longevity are commonly regarded as a threat to future social policy systems and structure of future welfare organizations. Focusing future needs of older adults, social gerontologists have long since recognized the importance of different types of socially interventional aspects. The methods used in this article are based on a survey of scientific literature on some central topics related to social gerontology. The main object is to discuss how these may be imbedded in rethinking future Swedish eldercare. Challenges and needs of longevity in Sweden have been met with the efforts of reshaping eldercare through new aspects of training and education. The article draws attention to the educational program of elderpedagogy at the University of Malmö. The main goal of elderpedagogy is to comprehend the assets of social capital and social experiences of old adults, in order to reduce social isolation. The scientific soil of elderpedagogy is made of influences from traditional social gerontology as well as social pedagogy. Despite its ambitions and well proven innovative potentials, elderpedagogy faces difficulties in recruiting students. The obstacles are well known in an international context where similar educational programs within social work focusing the social dilemmas of older adults share the fate of having to cope with ageist discursive attitudes towards later life.