Biståndshandläggarens perspektiv på psykisk ohälsa bland äldre - En kvalitativ intervjustudie

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to examine how care managers work in relation to mental health issues amongst the elderly population in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven care managers from four municipalities in Sweden. The empirical data collected from these interviews was analysed through the concept of Michael Lipsky´s theory of street-level bureaucracy and through Robert Butlers theory of ageism. Our results indicate that mental health issues are common amongst the elderly population according to the care managers. The most common forms were anxiety and depression, most commonly caused by loneliness. The study showed that the care managers interviewed experienced a significant amount of discretion which also supplied them with discretionary power in relation to the client. Furthermore the study indicated that forms of ageism affected the care managers ability to help elderly clients.