The impact of aging on long-term care in Europe and some potential policy responses.
The article examines recent data on the impact of increasing numbers of elderly people in Europe on expenditures for long-term care services. After reviewing recent and projected future costs of long-term care, the authors examine current national strategies for long-term care as well as potential policy options that could reduce future expenditures due to aging. Although long-term care expenditures in Europe will rise over the next several decades, countries can adopt a variety of strategies--many of them in social sectors outside the health system--to reduce or mitigate the overall effects of likely long-term care needs.
Saltman
Richard B
RB
Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. rsaltma@sph.emory.edu
Dubois
Hans F W
HF
Chawla
Mukesh
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005060:Europe; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007353:Insurance, Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012946:Social Welfare