Long-term care

Overview
PAHO Response

Declines in physical and mental capacities can limit people’s ability to care for themselves and to participate fully in society.

Long-term care encompasses a broad range of personal, social, and health services and support aimed at ensuring that people with, or at risk of, a significant loss of intrinsic capacity—due to physical or mental illness or disability—can maintain a level of functional ability.

Although the majority of people in need of such care is older adults, long-term care needs can arise at any stage of the life course. Most individuals receiving care live in the community and receive care from informal caregivers like family members and friends.

Access to good-quality long-term care is essential to maintain functional ability, enjoy basic human rights and live with dignity. In addition, it is essential to support caregivers, so they can deliver proper care and also take care of their own health.

The Policy on Long-term Care, covering the period 2025–2034, provides the Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with strategic and technical guidance for the development, strengthening, and expansion of LTC capacities in the Region was adopted by the 61st Directing Council.

Highlighted Publications

Long-term care for older people: package for universal health coverage

This publication includes a list of LTC interventions that all countries could consider, prioritize and provide and could integrate within health and social care sectors, depending on their context. The package should be implemented in line with overall plans to design, establish and expand formal, integrated LTC systems and services towards universal health coverage (UHC).

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Framework for countries to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care

The framework for countries to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care identifies key aspects necessary to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care service provision and to facilitate the integration of long-term services within existing health and social care systems.

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Long-term Care in Latin America and the Caribbean

This report provides updated information on long-term care in the Region of the Americas, summarizing current knowledge about the health and aging of older persons in the Region at the start of the Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030. This detailed report can serve as the foundation for the design of strategies that formalize this dimension of health care, with the idea that developing national long-term care systems is essential for protecting and promoting the rights, dignity, and well-being of care-dependent older persons and their caregivers. This publication is part of a series entitled The Decade of Healthy Aging in the Americas: situation and challenges

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Policy Briefs

Long-Term Care Financing

Investing in quality long-term care (LTC) services benefits both society and the economy, yet financing remains a challenge. To address this, the WHO Kobe Centre has developed a series of policy briefs on LTC financing in low- and middle-income countries. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, you can access them below.

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Series on Long-Term Care

To support the implementation of the Regional Policy on Long-Term Care (2025–2034), a new series of policy briefs provides concise, evidence-informed guidance to help countries translate strategic priorities into action. The initial series covers person-centered care, the roles and needs of paid and unpaid caregivers, and governance and financing, offering practical direction to strengthen equitable and sustainable long-term care systems.

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Launch of the Series Long-Term Care in the Americas: Policy briefs

The webinar “Launch of the Series Long-Term Care in the Americas: Policy Briefs”, organized by the PAHO on 15 April 2026, marked the introduction of a new series of policy briefs designed to support countries in strengthening long-term care across the Region of the Americas, in response to rapid population aging and growing care needs. The guidance provides practical, evidence-informed recommendations to improve access, quality, and equity in long-term care services.