By Jiri Horecky
President, European Ageing Network

EUROPEAN AGEING NETWORK is introducing the Vision 2030 for long term care in Europe.

The European Ageing Network (EAN) was created in 2017, though that doesn’t mean it’s a brand-new organization. Behind EAN are two European organizations with a long history: EDE, the European Association of Directors and Long-Term Care Providers (since 1991) and EAHSA, the European Association of Services Providers to Elderly (since 2010).

Long term care in Europe is under- going crucial changes. We are going to face and are already facing key challenges. We also have to change to be able to ensure we can provide relevant support and care to elderly in the future. The people of Europe are getting older. The number of people living with dementia is going to be doubled in the next two decades. All of Europe is generally experiencing a lack of staff in social services.

What will and could be the future of long-term care in Europe?

The report, Long Term Care 2030, aims to compel providers and provider associations throughout Europe to transform their long-term care systems and bolster services and supports for older people. The report provides a vision (and conceptual model) for improving long-term care in Europe by 2030, describing sector-wide challenges and offering recommendations.

From the 2030 VISION:
Ageing and becoming old is not a disease but a stage of life.
Older people or their family can very well decide for themselves. So we need to focus on them as a client that we do not things to, but for and with them.
Elder care must be not aiming towards quality of care but towards quality of life.
We are focusing on social support and services. Health care is a secure element in the background but is not the dominant element in the services and support for older people.

The main goal of this report is to spark an expert discussion within the European Union and the different European countries about the future of long-term care. The report also contains key and crucial questions but also recommendation for social services providers and policy decision makers.

Read the whole report here: https://www.ean.care/media/fileman/LTC_2030_ebook_2nd_edition_v2.pdf