Defining Long-Term Care in European Union Countries: A Review of Policy Documents

Abstract

Context: Defining long-term care (LTC) is relevant to determining the access, coverage, and types of services. European Union (EU) countries are guided by the same principles for providing long-term care. However, there is variation in how individual countries define long-term care. Objective: To review available policy documents from European Union countries that provide a definition of LTC and create a framework that captures these definitions. Methods: We conducted a qualitative document review analysis. The sources of evidence included policy documents, such as reports by or for the European Commission, official EU websites, and national websites providing information about the LTC system or services. Long-term care definitions were extracted verbatim from the sources or adapted based on the described eligibility for accessing LTC services. We conducted a thematic analysis through a focused reading and re-reading, identifying and refining codes, and categorizing these codes into themes. Findings: Official definitions of long-term care were found for 22 European Union countries. We identified eight codes that were categorized into three themes: physical disability, person-centered care, and mental capacity. Most of the countries mentioned physical disability, while only a limited few were explicit about providing person-centered care services and evaluating mental capacity. Limitations: We only explored reports written in English and did not conduct interviews with local experts. Implications: Our review suggests that most European Union countries define long-term care mainly based on physical disabilities. Broadening this definition to include mental capacity and person-centered care could promote more comprehensive care. Future research should explore documents in national languages and interviews with experts.

Keywords

• Long-term care
• definition
• Europe