Development and improvement of the long-term care system in Russia

Abstract

Recent demographic trends, particularly the aging of the population, make the issue of ensuring a dignified old age urgent. Russia, as a developed country in the socio-economic sense, at the state level strives to increase the life expectancy of the population; at the same time, it is necessary to set and ensure the achievement of targets for improving the quality of life of the older generation. An important element here is the provision of palliative medical care to people of retirement age and people with disabilities. Until recently, there was virtually no long-term care system in Russia, and the burden was distributed between the healthcare system and the relatives of citizens in need of care. The launch of a pilot project to develop a long-term care system within the framework of the national project "Demography" showed the widespread demand for palliative care services. The article analyzes all aspects of the development of the long-term care system in Russia, identifying both positive results of the pilot project and points of growth. The main obstacle to implementing a long-term care system at the federal level is agreeing on a funding model. Here it makes sense to rely on successful international experience and consider the practical implementation of long-term care programs in various countries. However, the development of a long-term care system and ensuring the processes of its sustainable functioning is an important element of the state's social policy, which must be included in the standard list of social services and developed everywhere.