An international review of the long-term care workforce: policies and shortages

J Aging Soc Policy. 2005;17(4):75-94. doi: 10.1300/J031v17n04_05.

Abstract

The developed world's population is aging, due to trends of increased life expectancies and decreased fertility rates. These trends are predicted to increase demand on long-term care services. At the same time, the long-term care workforce is in shortage in most of the developed world. Moreover, such shortages are expected to increase due to parallel socio-demographic factors. The increase in demand for longterm care, coupled with shortage in supply of care workers, has promoted some attention from policymakers. The current paper provides an international review of institutional arrangements for long-term care in different developed countries and in particular explores different strategies used or proposed to resolve the shortage in the long-term care workforce.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Developed Countries
  • Disabled Persons / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Policy*
  • Health Services Needs and Demand / trends
  • Health Services for the Aged*
  • Health Workforce / economics
  • Health Workforce / trends*
  • Humans
  • Internationality
  • Long-Term Care*
  • Population Dynamics
  • Social Work