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IAHA – International Association for Healthy Aging

A female caregiver and an elderly man sitting on a sofa deep in conversation.

Most of us would like to be able to grow old in our own home. However, this is often not possible without support. Demand for personalised, competent care at home is huge, but there is already a glaring shortage of skilled staff in this area – not least because of precarious working conditions and lack of appreciation for care work in the home. Furthermore, the situation is expected to get worse over the next few years. While there were 1.9 million senior citizens in Switzerland in 2019, this number is set to rise to 2.7 million by 2050.

With the support of the Migros Pioneer Fund, the International Association for Healthy Aging (IAHA) would like to improve the care provided to older people at home and the conditions framing this care – both in terms of specialist staff and family members.

Quality care tailored to needs

Using a digital matching platform, it is creating a central place where older people in need of assistance and their family members can search specifically for caregivers and find a service that precisely matches their needs. The IAHA also ensures fair employment and working conditions as well as targeted training and further education for caregivers, to increase appreciation for and transparency of outpatient care.

Tackling specialist staff shortages

The IAHA also has its sights set on the growing number of family members who perform unpaid care work at home. It gives these people the chance to receive training and further education opportunities. The result will be a wider range of professional care services available and more specialist staff.

Videos

The example of the Burgmeister family illustrates how family members can obtain at-home support from a caregiver.

The example of the Radtke family illustrates how young people can get involved in caring for the older generation.

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International Association for Healthy Aging

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