The WHO Regional Office for Europe has launched “State of Long-term Care (LTC) Toolkit”, which aims to to support policy-makers at regional, national and local level to reshape LTC systems to be more responsive, inclusive and sustainable. The toolkit has three main components:
• A conceptual framework that defines the broader components of LTC systems and mechanisms for LTC reform
• An implementation guide
• A detailed data-collection template.
The toolkit proposes a holistic approach to LTC system development, underpinned by a “results chain” structure. This approach brings together five key components: population care needs; system inputs; system outputs, system outcomes, and population-level impacts. This model urges policy-makers to consider the resources available within the LTC system, both tangible (such as infrastructure and workforce) and intangible (such as funding mechanisms), and to evaluate how effectively these resources are being used to deliver care services and meet the goals formulated in national policies.
As part of this work, three country-specific studies for Greece, Ireland and Lithuania, were launched, identifying challenges and priorities for progress in transforming their systems in line with national goals. The work was supported with financial support from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and is part of the European Care Strategy, contributing to the Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality LTC. The toolkit and other resources, including the country-specific studies, are available at:
