Demographic, epidemiological, social and cultural trends in European countries are changing the traditional patterns of care. The next decades will see rising numbers of care-dependent older people and noncommunicable diseases as the leading cause of chronic illness and disability. Further, urbanization and the break-up of the traditional large family group will lead to gaps in the care of older or disabled family members. These changes in needs and social structure require a different approach to policy and services in the health and social sectors; a disease-oriented approach alone is no longer appropriate. Home care could be an answer to these issues: a sustainable approach to prevent the need for unnecessary acute or long-term institutionalization and to maintain people in their homes and communities as long as possible. Along with new forms of service delivery organization, technological innovation can represent a viable solution to developing home care in Europe, provided that health care systems can further enhance integration and coordination. This publication is part of the work of the WHO Regional Office for Europe to present evidence for health policy- and decision-makers in a clear and understandable form. It explains why health and social services should provide high-quality and targeted home care for disabled and older people. It provides evidence for the effectiveness of home care, shows how it can be improved, and explains the need to ensure equitable access. The publication also explores the varied cultural and care contexts in different countries, and reveals how to educate professionals and the public about these issues. This booklet seeks to broaden awareness, stimulate debate and promote action.

For every person over the age of 65 in today's European Union there are four people of working age but by 2050 there will only be two. Demand for long-term care of which home care forms a significant part will inevitably increase in the decades to come. Despite the importance of the issue however up-to-date and comparative information on home care in Europe is lacking. This book attempts to fill some of that gap by examining current European policy on home care services and strategies. Home care in Europe probes a wide range of topics including the links between social services and health-care.

The increase in the number and life expectancy of elderly people is a general trend across Europe. Each country responds differently to the increased demands for elderly care, due to differences in their socio-cultural, political, and historical backgrounds. This book describes patterns of caregiving to frail, elderly people in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. For each country, characteristic features of professional and informal elderly care are described, specifically focusing on home nursing. Differences in home nursing in these four countries are described from a broad sociological and cultural perspective. These are related to differences between health-care professions and health-care sectors, structures, and ways of financing of health-care systems, the role of the family in caregiving to elderly people, and norms and values regarding health and illness. This volume provides insight into country-specific patterns of provision of care for vulnerable elderly people.

For every person over the age of 65 in today's European Union, there are four people of working age; by 2050, there will only be two. Demand for long-term care, of which home care forms a significant part, will inevitably increase in the decades to come. Despite the importance of the issue, however, up-to-date and comparative information on home care in Europe is lacking. This book attempts to fill some of that gap by examining current European policy on home care services and strategies. Home Care Across Europe probes a wide range of topics including the links between social services and health-care systems, the prevailing funding mechanisms, how service providers are paid, the impact of governmental regulation, and the complex roles played by informal caregivers. Drawing on a set of Europe-wide case studies (available in a second, online volume), the study provides comparable descriptive information on many aspects of the organization, financing and provision of home care across the continent. It is a text that will help frame the coming debate about how best to serve elderly citizens as European populations age.

Drawing on research across a wide range of European countries, this book analyzes the key issues at stake in developing long-term care systems for older people in Europe with a focus on progression and improvement for policy and practice.