title: Ageing in the European Union.
abstract: The ageing of European populations presents health, long-term care, and welfare systems with new challenges. Although reports of ageing as a fundamental threat to the welfare state seem exaggerated, societies have to embrace various policy options to improve the robustness of health, long-term care, and welfare systems in Europe and to help people to stay healthy and active in old age. These policy options include prevention and health promotion, better self-care, increased coordination of care, improved management of hospital admissions and discharges, improved systems of long-term care, and new work and pension arrangements. Ageing of the health workforce is another challenge, and policies will need to be pursued that meet the particular needs of older workers (ie, those aged 50 years or older) while recruiting young practitioners.
authors.affiliation: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK. bernd.rechel@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rechel
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grundy
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Robine
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cylus
authors.forename: Johan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mackenbach
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knai
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKee
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D004651:Employment; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D006262:Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*