Insights into the eldercare conundrum through complementary lenses of Boardman's SSM and TOC's Evaporating Cloud

Abstract

Whether an elderly parent should move/be moved into an assisted care facility can be a difficult decision for families and one that is increasingly evident as the ‘baby-boomer’ population ages. This paper explores decisions about care for elderly family members and in particular, whether a parent should move (or be moved) into an assisted care facility (ACF). The problematic situation based on personal experience of the authors is explored using two different methods as problem structuring aids, providing critical insights into the dilemma facing many families. Boardman's Soft Systems Methodology (BSSM) was used along with the Evaporating Cloud (EC) from the Theory of Constraints (TOC) methodology. This use of two methods in multimethodological fashion as complementary lenses allowed the elicitation, clarification and elaboration of assumptions underlying the issue of whether the parent should move into an ACF. Multiple avenues for resolving the issue are surfaced, along with several opportunities for further research. The paper contributes to community OR by showing how the different frames can work to address the fraught situation in which families can find themselves, as adult children seek to safeguard their elderly parents by accessing ACF, while also endeavouring to maintain satisfactory family relationships. The paper makes a unique contribution, not just in terms of highlighting the eldercare situation and suggesting ways forward, but also in terms of multimethodological use of BSSM and TOC. Finally, it is significant that the case study originated in the USA, where ‘Soft OR’ methods are rarely applied.