Approximately two-thirds of people who reach older age are likely to need care from others at some point in time. This includes support with being able to perform activities of daily living, such as eating, moving around or bathing.

Care and support needs may arise suddenly as a consequence of an acute problem or event, or may develop gradually over time. Regardless of why a person might need long-term care, Member States through the declaration of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) have emphasized that access to good-quality long-term care is essential to enable older people to enjoy their basic human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made starkly visible, many health and social care systems around the world are currently unable to deliver quality long-term care services to older people who need it.

To support countries to develop or strengthen their long-term-care systems and services, WHO has released a new Framework for countries to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care. The framework was developed in consistency with the WHO Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health, the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals, based on the latest evidence and consultations with a range of stakeholders including the WHO Global Network on Long-term Care.

Through this framework, WHO aims to support countries improve the lives of older people, their families, and communities by outlining the key components required to implement an integrated continuum of long-term care. The framework is primarily intended for governments and policymakers and provides a checklist which helps assess existing long-term-care systems, identify potential gaps, and ultimately help plan for next steps in terms of implementation.