This brief is the ninth in a series discussing long-term care financing in low- and middle-income settings. The focus is workers in the formal long-term care system.

This brief is part of a series about financing health and social long-term care: lessons for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The number of people aged 65 years and older will increase in LMICs, where most older people will be living by 2050. Many people in LMICs will experience the onset of age-related health problems before the age of 65 years. Long-term care (LTC) can include some acute care medical services delivered in health facilities, but it primarily refers to support provided outside of the health system by caregivers in institutions or at home to allow people to maintain their routine activities. Individuals’ unmet needs increase the demand for LTC. Without formal LTC services and systems, the costs of LTC shift to the family. Informal caregivers, primarily women, may need to reduce their working hours or leave the labour force prematurely, placing pressure on the economy and household resources. The availability of informal caregivers has declined along with decreases in fertility and family sizes, and increased opportunities for women in the formal workforce. In the absence of formal LTC services and systems, individuals seek care in the acute care medical system, which can increase health care costs while offering suboptimal care for older adults. People underestimate their need for LTC, even though many may require intensive support or institutional care that may exceed their income. Given the market failures of LTC insurance, public intervention is well-justified to meet this demand.

Key policy issues in long-term care (LTC) are complex and the numbers of persons needing such care continue to incease. This volume addresses these issues: the role of and support to the family; integration with health and social systems; case management; and strategies for designing LTC systems.

Standards to guide the design and construction of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, independent living settings, and related outbased service facilities, including adult day care

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.