Capabilities in care for older adults in Finnish familialistic policy transformations: a longitudinal, one-case study

Abstract

As public provision of health and social care to older adults remains fixed or is scaled back, informal care is increasingly emphasised in policy and in practice. This is also the case in the Nordic welfare state of Finland. Little is known about how individual care arrangements are made. In this study, the capability approach is used to investigate the processes from resources to the actual functionings of receiving care of one older informal care recipient across time. The results reveal difficulties, discontinuity and unpredictability that challenge the capabilities to achieve valued beings and doings.