Cost of long-term care and balancing caregiver wellbeing: a narrative review

Long-term care (LTC) refers to care and support services that are required by individuals who lack the ability to perform important daily routines and may be dependent on others for personal, social, and medical needs over a sustained period of time. LTC may be broadly categorized into formal and informal care, where formal care is provided by professionals who are compensated to provide these services and informal care captures the care services provided without compensation by family members, friends, or other unpaid individuals.

In this narrative review, we identify and synthesize evidence to evaluate the cost of long-term care while balancing the needs of caregivers. We searched Embase and EconLit for studies published from 2010 to November 2023. Our search strategy used a combination of keywords such as 'long-term care,' 'caregiver burden,' 'caregiver support,' 'cost of care,' and 'caregiver wellbeing.' We include both formal and informal LTC, as well as predictors of caregiver wellbeing.

This review highlights the global variability in LTC costs and the significant burden on caregivers, emphasizing the need for policy interventions and comprehensive insurance schemes. Future research should focus on standardized assessment tools, intervention effectiveness, and integrating caregiver support into healthcare models, ensuring holistic and sustainable LTC solutions.