Introduction: Current healthcare systems are not optimally designed to meet the needs of aging populations. With shorter hospital stays, fewer hospital beds, and fragmentation of the healthcare system, older people with complex care needs are recognised as particularly vulnerable. This development further increases the demands on older people and their family to assume responsibility of own health, and to navigate through the healthcare system, knowing of when and where to seek help. In care transitions, an interprofessional collaboration across care providers is considered as a path to deliver seamless care. Still, it seems hard to achieve.

Aim and Method: The aim of the study is to explore interprofessional collaboration in care transitions from inpatient care to home healthcare for older people with complex care needs.

Care transitions involve a variety of healthcare teams across stakeholder boundaries. Hence, to study this extensive process, an explorative qualitative methodology was chosen, using Constructivist Grounded Theory. The sampling approach was guided by the continuous analysis of the collected data, utilizing a theoretical sampling. Fifty-nine multidisciplinary healthcare and social care professionals (HSCP) from different stakeholders were recruited. Document analysis, participatory observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed according to Charmaz.

Results: Collaborating for a comprehensive care of older people with complex care needs emerges as interlacing the different threads of care to construct seamless care. Organizational gaps and legislations divide the HSCP as they strive to perform safe care within system boundaries, limited by interdependencies and communication organized in silos. Care is integrated as HSCP assumes accountability by going above and beyond their responsibility, constructing unity for the older person and their family. Seamless care is facilitated when information systems are integrated and by mutual sharing of patient data across organizations. To achieve seamless care for older people with complex care needs, HSCP need to adapt the delivery of care to the older person’s needs and resources instead of performing care as per organizational boundaries and conditions. Further, the autonomy of older people and their families need to be strengthened, including them as partners in the collaboration and coordination of care.

Conclusions: Care efforts for older people with complex care needs are visualized as threads that together create a comprehensive care. To weave the threads together, a collaborative effort is required, strengthening the autonomy of the older person and their family, supported by integrated information systems that coordinate the care seamlessly.

Implications and limitations: This study contributes to the understanding of interprofessional collaboration in care transitions of older people with complex care needs. Key strengths include the rich data and multidisciplinary perspective on providing integrated care. Limitations concern the absence of patient, family and informal caregivers’ involvement which should be included in further studies.