WHO Europe and the European Commission have launched a partnership to support countries in the region working to improve long-term care.
The initiative seeks to improve access to and quality of these health services, while providing important assistance to informal caregivers, who play a critical role in the region.
Solution proposals include raising awareness of elder abuse
The disabled and the elderly
In the European region, 135 million people live with disabilities, and about one in three elderly people are unable to independently meet their basic needs.
The World Health Organization stresses the importance of access to quality, integrated and long-term care for people’s independence, their basic human rights and a dignified life.
Integrated care is provided when the elderly receive care, in a holistic manner, with services such as prevention, treatment, long-term care, rehabilitation, or palliative care.
These services can be provided in health facilities or in their homes and communities.
effects of the epidemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in care systems, including inadequate services for patients requiring long-term support and poor integration with health systems.
In the European Union alone, there were nearly 200,000 deaths, at the start of the pandemic, among residents of long-term care homes.
Although access to long-term care services varies by region, available data from EU countries indicate that only one in three older people with care needs access to these services in the community.
An elderly man vaccinated against Covid-19 in Peru
Increasing request
As the population ages, the demand for long-term care is expected to increase.
By 2024, there will be more elderly people in the WHO European Region, that is, people aged 65 years or over, than children and adolescents, with two out of three elderly people needing care and support at some point.
The new partnership will develop ways to support countries’ long-term care reform efforts and help monitor progress toward better service coverage, more accessible care, and better coordination of health and long-term care services.
informal sponsorship
Most care in the area is provided informally by families and communities. Informal carers help fill gaps in service coverage and ensure care for those who cannot access or pay for formal care services.
The WHO initiative will also support these informal carers, by disseminating information and training so they can care for others.
health professionals
The World Health Organization states that the pandemic continues to place an enormous strain on health professionals and informal caregivers.
Two out of three caregivers in the European Union report worsening mental and physical health due to increased caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic.
Therefore, WHO recommends urgent investments be made to address this shortfall, with a focus on training, recruiting, retaining and protecting the long-term care workforce.
Moreover, about three out of four informal caregivers are women, and it is estimated that they represent 80% of the formal workforce.
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