COVID-19 in long-term care
Impact, policy responses and challenges
The COVID-19 crisis has hit the long-term care (LTC) sector particularly hard, with
large numbers of people dependent on care and particularly vulnerable to COVID-19
have fallen ill, and a disproportionate rate of LTC workers both exposed to, and infected
by, COVID-19. The analysis presented in this report describes the effects of COVID-19
on LTC in OECD countries, mainly showing infection rates and mortality of LTC recipients.
It takes stock of the wide range of policy responses that countries have implemented,
detailing the changes over time on testing strategies, reduction of interactions and
isolation measures, digitalisation of services, and workforce. The report also assesses
emergency preparedness in the sector, as well as workforce, organisational and coordination
challenges. Finally, the report analyses how policy responses affected care continuity
and the well-being of residents while also outlining the effectiveness of vaccination.
Published on October 21, 2021
In series:OECD Health Working Papersview more titles