Who cares in Europe?

Long-term care for people with chronic health problems in the Netherlands is undergoing radical reform. Local authorities are being given a central role in implementing long-term care, care insurers are being given responsibility for personal and nursing care , and fewer people are eligible for long-term residential care. The reforms are accompanied by spending cuts, but are also intended to enable people to continue living at home for as long as possible, where necessary with support. Against the background of these major changes, it is important to look at how other countries in Europe organise and deliver care for people with long-term health problems. What developments have taken place in long-term care? What health problems do people have in these countries? For what forms of care are they eligible and what support are they offered in practice?This study compares long-term care and its utilisation by people aged over 50 living independently in the Netherlands and fifteen other European countries. Characteristics of the different care systems are combined with the outcomes of a large-scale survey of users of care in Europe. This comparative and empirical approach provides input for the policy debate about a sector that is set to undergo radical changes in the coming years. Debbie Verbeek-Oudijk, Isolde Woittiez, Evelien Eggink and Lisa Putman are attached to the Labour and Public Services research sector at the Netherlands Institute for Social Research|SCP. Their research interests are focused among other things on demand for and utilisation of long-term care.