Long-term care policies in the Asia-Pacific Aged Care Hub (APACH) countries: A scoping review

With the rapid agiing of populations globally, the demand for long-term care (LTC) services for older people is growing exponentially. However, policy responses across the region have varied significantly. Purpose: This scoping review aims to map and describe available policies that address LTC within the Asia-Pacific Aged Care Hub (APACH) countries, specifically examining governance, implementation, and strategic challenges in this area.

This scoping review followed the framework as outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). A comprehensive literature search was conducted on five electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Grey literature was identified through Google Scholar, government and public health websites. A two-stage screening process was undertaken by two reviewers independently, which was followed by data extraction and synthesis.

We identified 310 articles, of which 85 were included for full review. The studies revealed that there are health policies in place in all the APACH countries. The two prevalent LTC models are residential care and community-based care. The policy documents have a common focus on LTC for older adults with emphasis on infrastructure, governance and funding, and capacity building. Effective operationalization of the existing policies has been challenged by current structural and capacity issues. Although the aged care policies have included monitoring and evaluation frameworks, comprehensive assessments of policy impact remain limited.

Though there are policies for LTC, the review highlights significant gaps in the implementation of these policies across the APACH countries. There is a pressing need for robust regulatory frameworks and interagency collaboration to provide sustainable LTC approaches.

Although APACH countries have adopted several approaches to LTC, it is critical to strengthen policies and initiatives regarding regulatory frameworks, health and social care integration, quality standards, and cultural adaptability to improve LTC administration and management.