Social Work in rural communities. Professional intervention in home-based care for older adults

Population ageing, together with the structural fragility of care services and family networks that are increasingly unable to provide care, have minimised the opportunities for dependent older adults living in rural communities to remain at home. "A Gusto en Mi Casa" pilot project addressed this challenge by implementing a comprehensive, integrated, and person-centred care model in a rural area of & Aacute;vila. With the objective of analysing the content and centrality of the actual role of social workers in home-based care, a mixed methodology was used through surveys, focus groups and interviews. The results show their intervention as essential to achieve the project's aims and, in turn, provide orientations for professional practice and care policies in rural contexts.