Preparing for an ageing Europe An in-depth study of long-term care (LTC) for the fast-growing number of elderly people across the continent will help ensure a more sustainable care model for this large segment of society. Health © Thinkstock Europe's population is ageing rapidly, putting a heavy strain on the continent's health systems. The EU-funded project 'Assessing needs of care in European nations' (ANCIEN) studied LTC for the elderly in Europe to improve care services and mechanisms for this rapidly growing age group. The project worked on making viable projections of future LTC use and costs involved, beginning with data collection and the preparation of 22 country reports. Developing typologies for the different LTC systems, the project team chose four representative countries for each type, namely Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland. It then analysed the need for LTC in each country and used Eurostat population projects to establish care projections. Another important aspect examined was the role of informal care and private funding versus public expenditures. ANCIEN also looked at the use of care, including the choice between formal and informal care, as well as at the choice between care at home and in an institution. It analysed supply of informal and formal care, noting that the number of care users is set to increase in all countries. Other important aspects examined include technological solutions likely to impact LTC, as well as economic, cultural, organisational and regulatory considerations. Against this backdrop, the project team highlighted a need for policies to increase LTC capacity, closely examining and classifying policies related to the quality of care provided. It then looked at efforts to improve the quality of LTC, an exercise that could reveal much information on the sustainability of the LTC approach in each country. In essence, the project team developed a robust epidemiologic and demographic model that can project the future elderly population by age, sex and disability status. The method can be used for many types of countries, even those lacking detailed data on the incidence of disability. The project's results and findings have been disseminated through a dedicated website with links to participating institutes. The website also includes research reports and policy briefs that can be accessed by interested parties. This will be invaluable for policymakers and for pre-empting challenges in LTC as Europe's elderly population grows. The result is potentially better care and a better standard of living, not only for elderly patients but the people in their lives as well.
