AGE participated in a Peer Review on Health and Long-term care that took place in Stockholm on 12-13 September in Stockholm. AGE welcomed this Peer Review which provided a good analysis of the challenges faced by those responsible for delivering and receiving long term care services. The Peer Review was also a great opportunity to address the issues of response to acute, sudden needs and continuum of care as well as the long waiting lists which are a huge problem and challenge for most Member States.
In the peer review AGE pointed out that there is an urgent need to develop services and structures to accommodate the needs of older persons who become dependent very suddenly and who, for the time being, have to rely on their family or friends when they are released from hospital. This lack of intermediate services forces informal carers to take time off work, sometimes for a considerable period of time. This issue is particularly important for women on whom the burden of care most often falls.
The debate on long term care cannot be dissociated from the informal carer’s debate. The tendency to rely more on informal carers to meet the needs of our ageing population will have a negative impact on gender equality if nothing is done to provide services to enable informal carers to reconcile work and family duties.
AGE reiterated that there is a real added value in sharing good practice examples and information about access, quality and sustainability of healthcare systems and social services between the Member States. AGE would also welcome a European Charter that would define the rights of people with dependency needs within the European Union. A study would need to be taken to assess the feasibility of such an initiative which should build on the existing examples of good practice (e.g. Charter of Rights of People in Need of Long-Term Care and Assistance in Germany and “Charte des droits et libertés de la personne accuillie") in France.
If you want to read the contribution of AGE to the Peer Review, please click here.
Other documents of the Peer Review can be found here.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 August 2010 15:53
