Shared Care through the eyes of Ivan

This audio is designed to open up reflection and dialogue about the choices, skills, and systems that can shape the future of long-term care. We invite you to close your eyes, and visualise the world being described.

Transcript

It’s early morning, and the courtyard is already coming to life when I step outside. Three residents are harvesting vegetables from the raised beds – produce that will go into lunch later today. A neighbour is setting out mugs for tea. On the community board, today’s rhythm is already visible: meal-prep support, a buddy walk, digital coaching for an older resident, an emotional check-in later this afternoon.

Before the day fully begins, I always pause for a moment. This is when I feel it most clearly: care is not something separate from daily life here. It lives in the spaces between us.

Come with me. Step inside for a moment. This is my world.

My name is Ivan, and I work as a Collaborative Community Mentor. In 2040, care is no longer centred in one institution or carried only by professionals. It moves through neighbourhoods, families, volunteers, and local networks. My role is to help that movement stay human, connected, and fair.

I guide people through the care process, but I also do something broader than that. I bring people together. I help translate needs into shared action. I support dialogue circles, connect vulnerable residents to the right support, and make sure care responsibilities don’t disappear into confusion or silence. Technology helps us, but quietly. A platform can help coordinate tasks or signal when someone may be withdrawing, but it should never replace trust, presence, or professional judgment.

What I value about this work is how human it feels. Care can be shaped around real lives, not only around systems. People are not just recipients of support here, they are part of it. There is something powerful in that. When it works well, care feels lighter, because it is carried together.

But there is another side too. Shared responsibility can easily become hidden pressure. The line between solidarity and obligation can blur. Families, volunteers, and professionals do not always agree, and some communities have far more resources than others. On those days, my work becomes a balancing act: protecting openness without losing boundaries, and protecting community without losing equity.

So yes, I work with networks, conversations, and quiet digital tools. But what I really care for is something less visible: the fragile trust that allows people to lean on one another.

In the end, that is what matters most to me. Not only that care is shared, but that in sharing it, people still feel safe, valued, and held.

About this project

This is an auditive and visual support for the future occupational profiles report, developed for ActiZ within the Care4Skills project. The full report can be requested via ActiZ. For more information contact Emmy: [email protected]