Long-term care as an investment: conditions for change

The panel agreed that the first step is a shift in mindset: stop viewing LTC only through expenditures and start through its benefits for the labor market, families, and quality of life. Close cooperation between the health and labor ministries is essential, even though merging them is not politically realistic; the important thing is to align processes and financial flows at a lower level. There is also a lack of a unified definition of LTC at the interface between the health and social domains and a clear “patient/client pathway” from acute, through follow-up, to home or residential care.

Demography is turning up the pressure: there will be more seniors and, with them, demand for services and staff. Health insurers report that contributions for nursing care in social services facilities are rising rapidly; between 2019 and 2025, both the number of supported clients and the per-day payments increased, but the expected savings on hospitalizations and emergency departments have not yet materialized. Providers counter that this is merely catching up after years of underfunding and that health-related payments still make up only a small share of the overall need.