In 2008, I evaluated healthcare reforms in Germany and the Netherlands for persons with chronic conditions at the University of Zurich. I noticed that many countries were discussing how to keep long-term care (LTC) sustainable considering their aging populations, often with a focus on aging in place (AIP). Yet despite spending billions on LTC and implementing sweeping reforms, there have been no meaningful evaluations of the economical or societal results to date.  

I decided to make it my life’s work to investigate which LTC approaches that enable AIP work, both economically and regarding the quality of life of older adults and their informal caregivers. After all, healthcare spending needs to be kept in check while at the same time safeguarding the well-being of its recipients. 

I focus on two main aspects. I study the economical outcomes of long-term care reforms through economic evaluations, and I research the effects they have on older adults and their informal caregivers with innovative methods to give them a voice. Since most countries assume keeping people in their own homes longer will reduce long-term care costs and since dementia is the dominant ailment for aging adults, these two aspects have my special interest. The challenging task of enabling persons with dementia to express their thoughts is particularly close to my heart, as is finding ways to recruit often under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities.  

-