A coordinating working group for long-term care in the Russian Federation was established in close cooperation with WHO on 27–28 November 2019 at a meeting in Moscow. The working group will support the development of the national long-term care system by providing an exchange platform for key experts and decision-makers in the field.
Long-term care for basic rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity
The population in the WHO European Region is ageing rapidly: its median age is already the highest in the world, and the proportion of people aged 65 and older is forecast to increase from 14% in 2010 to 25% in 2050. The same trend is seen in long-term forecasts for the Russian population.
Thus, promoting healthy ageing and building systems to meet the needs of older adults are cost-effective investments in a future where older people have the freedom to be and do what is important for them.
Long-term care systems enable older people, who experience significant declines in capacity, to receive the care and support of others consistent with their basic rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity.
Russian Federation’s commitment to the development of long-term care services
The development of long-term care services has been a priority since 2016, when the Federal Government approved a national strategy and actions for the benefit of older people for 2016–2025. This major step was followed by the introduction of a set of measures to create a long-term care system for people in need (covering older and disabled people) in December 2017.
Within this context, a pilot scheme on the long-term care system was launched in 2018. It revealed gaps and challenges that need to be addressed to create an effective nationwide system in a large country such as the Russian Federation.
The most acute challenges include coordinating intersectoral collaboration, conducting needs assessments, determining terminology, providing adequate human resources and training, strengthening community involvement and ensuring sustainable financing.
“We need the best practices,” said Professor Olga Tkacheva, Head Geriatrician of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. “Long-term care in our country is not being created from scratch; we have a well developed system of health and social protection services, but we are taking the first steps in needs assessment, intersectoral coordination and a number of other issues – and we would like to avoid mistakes.”
WHO Global Action Plan for Healthy Ageing
With their endorsement of the WHO Global Action Plan for Healthy Ageing in 2016, countries made a commitment to establishing long-term care systems for people with functional limitation who need continuous health and social support. In recent years, WHO has developed frameworks and tools to support policy development on long-term care in Member States.
In the Russian Federation, WHO is collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health by providing technical expertise and gathering key national and international experts at meetings such as the one conducted in November 2019. This meeting provided a platform to discuss the development of the long-term care system in the country while focusing on the need for the health and social sectors to work together to overcome fragmentation. It was also an opportunity to update participants on WHO tools and frameworks to support long-term care systems.