LONG-TERM CARE: INTERNATIONAL IMPERATIVES, LOCAL RESPONSES
The demographic changes taking place globally mean that long-term care is becoming a policy imperative in every region of the world. There are many challenges that policy-makers and practitioners have to confront: the determinants of demand; the cost of care; who is responsible for provision of care (the state, family or individual); the role of the private sector; and the agency and voice of older people themselves. Global frameworks such as the WHO's Global Action Plan on Ageing and Health and the Sustainable Development Goals help make visible how governments and civil society should respond to these challenges. The varying realities of wealthier countries, lower-income and middle-income countries requires different responses at national and local levels, but there are also commonalities that bridge these differences and allow us to learn from each other. This symposium will examine long-term care challenges across diverse international economic and social contexts and stimulate dialogue on how best to respond.