A group of researchers, including experts from WHO/Europe, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe, has published new evidence and analyses showing how societies that invest in long-term care (LTC) can unlock economic potential while generating important returns for families and health systems. The new book, “The Care Dividend: Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care”, makes the case for ambitious investment in LTC systems and services while summarizing the many benefits for individuals, families, health systems, economies and societies as a whole.
“As populations across the WHO European Region continue to age, often with disease and disability, the need for re-thinking and strengthening care ecosystems has never been more pressing,” shares Dr Stefania Ilinca, Technical Officer for Long-term Care at WHO/Europe and one of the book’s co-authors. “With this new body of research, we hope to tackle some of the negative and misleading myths holding back decisive policy action and make the case for the transformative potential of long-term care investments.”
Redefining the value of LTC
Challenging an overwhelmingly negative public discourse surrounding population ageing and the unsustainable pressure on public resources, “The Care Dividend” demonstrates how countries can promote greater economic resilience, reduce inequality and strengthen community bonds – all by simply investing in high-quality LTC services.
“Long-term care has received far too little policy attention in most countries. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates how access to comprehensive, publicly financed LTC benefits not only care recipients, but also economies, health systems, households and societies overall. Strengthening long-term care is everyone’s business – this book aims to tell both why and how to do it,” says Jonathan Cylus, Head of the London hub of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and Senior Health Economist, WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing.
Key findings
The book includes several findings with important policy implications, including the following.
- More efficient allocation of health care resources. Adequate access to LTC services helps prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, ensures appropriate care and keeps health systems efficient, affordable and sustainable.
- Economic impact. A well-functioning LTC system can act as a powerful driver of economic growth. Through job creation, reduced care-related costs for families and improved workforce participation, investing in LTC can yield significant economic dividends.
- Social benefits. LTC provides essential services that reduce social exclusion and increase quality of life for people with chronic conditions and disabilities and older adults. It fosters social cohesion by promoting intergenerational solidarity and improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable populations.
To help countries at all stages of economic development achieve these benefits, “The Care Dividend” offers practical recommendations for policy-makers to ensure the sustainability of LTC systems. It emphasizes meeting LTC needs, supporting and protecting informal caregivers, innovative financing strategies, multisectoral collaboration, investment in quality of care and the incorporation of technology in service delivery.
“The call to action is clear. Government leadership is needed to align resources with the needs of an ageing population. By unifying policy, funding and innovation, decision-makers can create a sustainable future in which older adults receive high-quality, sustainable care – and families and communities thrive, rather than buckle, under the pressures of demographic change,” says Dr Sarah Louise Barber, Director at the WHO Centre for Health Development in Japan.
Looking forward: a collaborative approach
WHO/Europe has long spearheaded efforts to strengthen and reshape LTC systems across the 53 countries in the Region. In November 2024, it published a new practical toolkit, “The State of long-term care: conceptual framework for assessment and continuous learning in long-term care systems”, providing a structured approach to help policy-makers in transforming LTC systems and policies and ensuring they meet the needs of both current and future generations.
“The Care Dividend” reinforces the principles outlined in the WHO/Europe toolkit, encouraging governments to prioritize LTC as a key component of their social and economic policies. The future of LTC lies in collective action. As highlighted in the book, the challenges faced by European countries require cooperation between governments, health-care providers, the private sector and civil society.
“We at WHO/Europe continue to be committed to supporting countries in building sustainable LTC systems that deliver meaningful benefits for older people with care needs, their families, their caregivers and their communities,” adds Dr Ilinca.
On 30 April, this article was amended to include the contribution of the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe, Japan.