Impacts of demographic changes

Demographic changes are approached at STAKES by analysing the situation of different age groups and how it develops. The emphasis is on services for children and families with children and policies that affect people's propensity to start a family, families' opportunities to perform their parenting duties and parents' opportunities to be gainfully employed. With the increasing number of older people, the structure of services needs to be adapted to their situation, functional capacity and service needs.

The consequences of demographic changes have mostly been assessed from the economic point of view, that is, in terms of pensions, public finances, employment and productivity. STAKES conducts research that provides information on the changing service needs of different age and population groups, the consequences of these changes for the service delivery system and the possibilities of service restructuring.

Research themes

Family policy and the preconditions for and barriers to starting a family

This thematic area is concerned with research on family policy and the ways in which it supports families and the starting of a family. Research is carried out on the use and distribution of different types of family leave and their consequences especially from the perspective of gender equality. Research interests include the impacts of workplace changes on family policy and on the reconciliation of work and family in the future. Research is also conducted on service needs and expectations among families and experiences of various new working methods and actions.

Well-being and ill-being among children and young people

This thematic area is concerned with research on how well-being and ill-being among children and young people develops and the factors contributing to such developments. More detailed analyses are carried out on the economic position and poverty of children and families with children and the role of family policy in determining economic welfare among families with children. Research interests include issues related to the economics of childhood, such as intergenerational relations and resource allocation. In addition, the thematic area is concerned with research on exclusion among children and the process of becoming a child welfare client.

The quality and effectiveness of services for older people

STAKES undertakes research on the structure, content, resources, quantity, quality, outcomes, efficiency, and care practices of services for older people nationally and internationally. In addition to public service provision, research is carried out on the role of informal carers, voluntary workers and the private and third sector as service providers. More generally, research is carried out on the development and future of nursing care for older people. More specifically, studies are carried out of the principles applied in assessing service needs and the impacts of quality recommendations on care and services. A special area of research is good practices in home care/home nursing and trends in supporting informal care.