Long-Term Care
Long-term care refers to the ongoing support provided to people who are unable to carry out daily activities independently due to aging, disability, chronic illness, or other long-term conditions. It includes personal care, assistance with daily living, social participation, and health-related support. Across much of the world, long-term care is primarily provided by family members, particularly women, often without adequate recognition or support. How long-term care is organized, who provides it, and how it is financed has profound implications for social equity, economic sustainability, gender equality, and public responsibility. As populations age and care needs grow, long-term care is becoming one of the defining challenges of contemporary social policy and care systems.
CURRENT STATISTICS
16%
By 2050, approximately 16% of the world’s population will be aged 65 and older, compared to 9% in 2019. Population aging is increasing demand for long-term care systems across all regions.
80%
Around 80% of long-term care is still provided by family members, the majority of whom are women. Much of this care remains unpaid, under-recognized, and largely absent from economic measurements.
Across OECD countries, expenditure on long-term care is projected to double by 2050, reaching trillions of dollars as populations age and demand for care services continues to grow.
CURRENT CARE POLICIES
Care Policy Recommendations Tool
At İhtimam, we curate emerging care policy recommendations and translate them into practical guidance for different stakeholders. Select a stakeholder group and thematic area to explore relevant policy recommendations, strategies, and actions from Türkiye and around the world.
THE FUTURE OF CARE
Care Radar
The Care Radar tracks emerging developments, weak signals, and evolving conversations across the care landscape. It is designed to help us understand how care is changing and to explore these shifts through an ethical and systems-oriented lens.
Care as a Long-Term Condition Rather Than a Temporary Crisis
Long-term care is increasingly becoming a sustained way of life rather than a short-term response to a crisis. While many systems remain designed around acute interventions, caregivers often navigate care responsibilities that extend across years or even decades.
The Aging of Caregivers
Long-term care is frequently provided by older spouses, aging parents, or elderly relatives. As caregivers themselves become more vulnerable, a growing “double aging” dynamic is emerging in which both the caregiver and care recipient require support.
The Accumulation of Mental and Administrative Work
Long-term care involves far more than physical assistance. Appointment scheduling, benefit applications, medical documentation, medication management, and institutional communication create a continuous layer of organizational labor that often remains invisible.
The Normalization of Chronic Caregiver Burnout
In long-term care settings, exhaustion is increasingly becoming a structural condition rather than an exception. Although caregiver burnout is gaining recognition as a public health concern, accessible and systematic support mechanisms remain limited.
Growing Income and Retirement Gaps
Reducing work hours or leaving the workforce to provide care can create significant long-term financial consequences. Long-term caregiving is increasingly linked to reduced earnings, lower retirement savings, and greater economic insecurity later in life.
The Semi-Professionalization of Family Care
Family caregivers are taking on increasingly complex responsibilities, including injections, medical device management, specialized nutrition, rehabilitation support, and symptom monitoring. While caregivers are expected to perform more advanced tasks, access to training, legal protections, and professional support often remains insufficient.
The Fragmentation of Medical and Social Care
Healthcare services, social support systems, and daily living assistance frequently operate through separate institutions and funding structures. Families are often left responsible for navigating and coordinating these fragmented systems.
The Expansion of Digital Monitoring and Data Work
Remote monitoring technologies, health portals, and digital care platforms are becoming increasingly common in long-term care. While these tools can improve oversight and coordination, they also introduce new responsibilities related to data management, reporting, and system administration.
Growing Demand for Respite Care
The need for temporary care replacement services is increasing as caregivers seek opportunities to rest, recover, and maintain their own wellbeing. However, affordable, accessible, and reliable respite care services remain unavailable in many communities.
