Health Policy and Systems for long-term care

Building sustainable and equitable long-term care systems is fundamental to achieving Healthy Ageing. The objective of this workstream will be to provide a common understanding of what long-term care systems are, what constitutes long-term care systems strengthening and identify bottlenecks to achieve sustainable long-term care systems in countries. 

Ensuring services that meet the needs of older people with declines in functional ability is the core of long-term care systems. To maximize outcomes, long-term care services must be provided using a person-centered approach with integration and continuing provision of both assistive care services and services for chronic health management. Furthermore, such assistive health care services must take into account futuristic and innovative technological assistance.

The objective of this workstream will be to provide methodological advice on identifying long-term care services as well as help define key principles that need to be included in long-term care provision. In addition, this workstream will work to help develop technical guidance and training materials to build capacity and support long-term care workforce(both formal and informal caregivers) in countries.

Assessment of the need for long-term care

Functional ability is the key to achieving Healthy Ageing. Therefore developing a categorization of functional ability and practical assessment tools for domains of functional ability relevant to long-term care is essential to service provision. This will allow for policy makers to readily assess the population in need, concretize and tailor services and monitor the outcome and quality of services provided.

This workstream will work to provide advice on identifying core domains of functional ability for long-term care as well as develop and identify tools for these core domains.

Financing mechanisms for long-term care services

Innovation is needed to sustainably finance long-term care systems. This workstream will work to strategically advise WHO on the important aspects of financing that enhance sustainable and equitable long-term care provision.