On 14 February 2023, the Global Ageing Network (GAN) issued a "Call to the Governments of the World on Long-term Care and Ageing” demanding urgent attention to and reform of long-term care systems for older people. For over a year, experts from around the world have been working on this document in response to the increasing risk of future inaccessibility and unaffordability of long-term care services, and at least half of all older adults expected to need long-term care services at some point in their lives. An increasing number of older people need daily, often demanding care, in part due to the increase in the number of people with dementia, but due to critical shortages of staff in social services.
The report stresses that the impact of issues arising from ageing populations in countries around the world, combined with declining numbers of carers and insufficient government support for services that older adults need to live well, demands immediate attention. The Call to the Governments of the World on Long-term Care and Ageing contains not only a description of the major problems and current challenges of long-term care, an emphasis on the importance of providing care and support to older people as a guarantee of their fundamental right to live with dignity, but also concrete directions for solutions and important principles. It is being distributed and disseminated to social and health care ministries and other relevant stakeholders across all continents, including Europe.
The global expert group responsible for this report included: Jiri Horecky, president of the Association of Social Services, in the Czech Republic, Chairperson of the GAN and President of the European Ageing Network (EAN); Stuart Kaplan, CEO, Selfhelp Community Services in New York, NY; Dan Levitt, professor and CEO, KinVillage, Delta, British Columbia, Canada; Katie Smith Sloan, executive director, Global Ageing Network; Megan Davies, PhD, University of Basel and Maastricht University; Dr. Freek Lapre, professor, TIAS Business School, Tilburg University, Netherlands; and Donald Macaskill, PhD, CEO, Scottish Care. The GAN is an international network of leaders in ageing services, housing, research, technology and design from more than 60 countries all over the world. Find out more: https://globalageing.org/
The EAN groups more than 10,000 care providers in 26 European countries, aiming to improve quality of life for older persons and providing high quality housing, services and care. Find out more: https://www.ean.care/en