Identification of Long-term Care Challenges in Europe

Abstract

Background: Changes in demographic structures and especially the dynamic ageing of the population lead to an increased demand for care services. Finding ways to provide them efficiently has become one of the challenges for developed countries. The choice of the research issue is a consequence of recognising the fact that in recent years it has increasingly emerged as an area of practical and theoretical reflection in many scientific disciplines, including management and health sciences.
 Research objectives: The aim of the study is to characterize characterising selected aspects of the organisations and functioning of long-term care in EU countries, describing the related initiatives taken by the European Commission and identifying the challenges faced by decision-makers and managers in the said service sector.
 Research design and methods: The paper is based on the analysis of European documents, Eurostat database and literature review. It provides numerical analysis of current and prospective variables such as: average population age in EU 28, projected population age structure, population aged 65+, long-term care expenditure.
 Results: Analysis of the available statistical data unambiguously confirms that increasing life expectancy, combined with low birth rates, leads to a significant quantitative increase in the proportion of older people in the overall population structure of EU countries. There is also no internationally accepted and standardised definition of what constitutes long-term care and thus no possibility of reliably identifying needs in this area. In many Member States, long-term care systems are characterised by horizontal interdependencies with health care and social care systems. Consequently, they may and do apply different criteria for long-term care eligibility, needs assessment, social protection scope and the catalogue of services and benefits offered.
 Conclusions: The evolving social structures, the increasing introduction of artificial intelligence solutions and the situation after COVID-19 are changing the conditions of long-term care functioning, hence the reflection on the directions of these transformations is essential to properly formulate public policy practices.