Paper long abstract:

In this paper we build on the achievements of a cross-European stakeholder involvement experience which aimed at providing both the national and the EU level with input for meeting the societal and technological challenges and opportunities of an aging population by 2025. Six European countries/regions were engaged in three scenarios dealing differently with two main concerns: (1) Is it the public or private health care providers who are providing future elderly care? (2) How do the senior citizens and other groups in the society organise themselves in order to meet the needs for care? In our presentation, specific attention will be given to the data collected in Wallonia, Belgium, although data collected in other countries will be produced when relevant. Our methodology is threefold, combining input from a wide range of experts who made a technology overview describing available care technology and home-based telemedicine; an overview of policy measures related to telecare and home-based telemedicine; and a scenario workshop that engaged stakeholders (from the care and health sectors, the industry and public authorities) and allowed us to elaborate visions on the use of telecare in the ageing society along classical cornerstones of welfare systems. Such visions will be analyzed taking into account the current transformations of the Belgian federal State and the implications for the survival Belgian healthcare system will be drawn. Lastly, we will discuss important differences and similarities between European nation-states and offer concluding observation with regard to the relevance of methodological nationalism to address global challenges such as aging societies.