title: Exploring the impact of austerity-driven policy reforms on the quality of the long-term care provision for older people in Belgium and the Netherlands.
abstract: In this case study, European quality benchmarks were used to explore the contemporary quality of the long-term care provision for older people in the Belgian region of Flanders and the Netherlands following recent policy reforms. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with various experts on the long-term care provision. The results show that in the wake of the economic crisis and the reforms that followed, certain vulnerable groups of older people in Belgium and the Netherlands are at risk of being deprived of long-term care that is available, affordable and person-centred. Various suggestions were provided on how to improve the quality of the long-term care provision. The main conclusion drawn in this study is that while national and regional governments set the stage through regulatory frameworks and financing mechanisms, it is subsequently up to long-term care organisations, local social networks and informal caregivers to give substance to a high quality long-term care provision. An increased reliance on social networks and informal caregivers is seen as vital to ensure the sustainability of the long-term care systems in Belgium and in the Netherlands, although this simultaneously introduces new predicaments and difficulties. Structural governmental measures have to be introduced to support and protect informal caregivers and informal care networks.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, 6229 GT, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: dxml.janssen@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, 6229 GT, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.jongen@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jongen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, 6229 GT, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: peter.schroder@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schröder-Bäck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057172:Economic Recession; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D009426:Netherlands; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards
keywords: Austerity; Long-term care; Policy reforms; Quality benchmarks; Quality of care