As people get older, it becomes more likely that they will need day-to-day help with activities such as washing and dressing, or help with household activities such as cleaning and cooking. This type of support (along with some types of medical care) is what is called long-term care.

Demand for long-term care is expected to rise, thanks in part to ageing populations and increasing prevalence of long-term conditions such as dementia.

The OECD has been at the forefront of analysis on long-term care since 2005, reviewing and providing best practices on LTC key issues.

SOCIAL PROTECTION

WORKFORCE

DEMENTIA

END-OF-LIFE CARE‌

Improving home care for older people in Croatia

The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy of Croatia requested technical assistance from the European Commission and the OECD to support the reform process and develop non-institutional forms of elderly care, particularly in older people’s homes and in local communities.
The project assessed the demands of older people in need of care, the characteristics and care provided by informal carers as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the current home care benefit and service provision. As part of the project, the OECD designed and carried out a survey and focus group discussions to gain a better understanding of the availability of formal and informal care provision across the country. The OECD also analysed best practices in EU countries to support informal carers and provided a recommendation report to implement home care reforms for older people.
The project ended on March 2021 and a dissemination event was organised on March 26, 2021 with key national stakeholders and experts.

• Read the report Improving Long-Term Care in Croatia (July 2023)

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Strengthening long-term care for older people in Lithuania

The Ministry of Health of Lithuania requested technical assistance from the European Commission and the OECD to support the reform process on care for older people, particularly home-based and community-based care. The OECD carried out an analysis of the long-term care system, including a survey and focus group discussions, and also discussed pathways to reforms at key stakeholder consultations and during a workshop organised on June 2, 2022 in Vilnius.

• Read the report Integrating Services for Older People in Lithuania (November 2022)
• Access the key findings and recommendations and read the blog post Mind the gaps and overlaps: integrating care services for older people

Modernising social services in Spain

The Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 of Spain has requested technical assistance from the European Commission and the OECD to support the reform process on social services, namely on improving the national framework and the information system for social services.
To close the project, the OECD is organising a high-level event on October 18 in Madrid, to bring together representatives from the relevant ministries, experts on social services and high-level authorities from the regions, and present the findings and recommendations on the situation of social services in Spain.

• Read the report Modernising Social Services in Spain - Designing a New National Framework (October 2022)
• Watch the event on October 18, 2022 (10h00-14h00 CET)