Global health in long-term care - common challenges, common solutions
Long-term care should function as a permeable bridge between the health and social systems. If these two spheres are not connected, gaps widen that people and families fill at the cost of exhaustion and deteriorating health. The World Health Organization recommends an integrated, cross-sector approach oriented to people’s needs throughout the life course. Long-term care brings together formal and informal support and should smoothly transition a person between health and social support according to their current needs. The author likened this linkage to a semipermeable membrane: what is needed should enter the system in a timely and unobstructed way. Such an arrangement enables a person to remain in everyday life for as long as possible. As functional ability declines, dependence on others’ help and demands on services increase. It is precisely then that we need clear overlaps between sectors to avoid overburdening families and caregivers. If the linkage is missing, acute beds are misused as a substitute solution, even though they are only a marginal part of long-term care.Why we need connected long-term care
