Long-term care as an urgent challenge.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Social Policy

Background:

• Long-term care (LTC) addresses needs arising from disabilities, chronic conditions, or trauma, requiring prolonged third-party assistance.
• LTC integrates health and social care services for individuals with limited self-care capabilities and independence.
• The existing healthcare and social support structures are often fragmented, creating gaps in comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the scope and necessity of long-term care services.
• To analyze the current state of long-term care provision.
• To highlight the absence of a formal public long-term care system in Slovakia.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on long-term care models.
• Analysis of Slovakian healthcare and social service policies.
• Comparative study with international long-term care systems.

Main Results:

• Long-term care is characterized as a distinct, integrated system of health and social support.
• Individuals requiring prolonged assistance due to health limitations are the primary recipients of long-term care.
• Slovakia does not currently feature a public long-term care system within its social services framework.

Conclusions:

• The absence of a public long-term care system in Slovakia leaves a significant gap in support for vulnerable populations.
• Establishing a formal long-term care framework is crucial for addressing the needs of individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities.
• Policy development is required to integrate health and social care services for comprehensive long-term support in Slovakia.