Part 2 of 6: Europe's Elder Care Crisis -- Are We Prepared?

Europe remains one of the most advanced regions in the world when it comes to protecting the dignity of older adults.

From Sweden’s gold-standard “aging in place” model to the Netherlands’ neighborhood-based Buurtzorg approach, these systems demonstrate how universal access, inclusive urban design, and respect for elder autonomy can transform later life into a period of continued participation rather than isolation (European Commission, 2021).

Elder Care Landscape: Strengths, Best Practices, and Reform Imperatives

Across Europe, certain models stand out as global benchmarks for inclusive and dignified elder care. The Nordic model—seen in countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark—guarantees universal access to care regardless of income, offers subsidized home help alongside institutional care, and ensures municipalities take an active, tailored role in service delivery. Importantly, older adults are encouraged to participate in decision-making, reinforcing dignity and autonomy in later life (European Commission, 2021; WHO Europe, 2023).

Germany’s long-term care (LTC) insurance system, introduced in 1995, is praised for striking a balance between public responsibility and individual freedom, giving citizens the option to receive benefits in cash or as services—allowing families to decide whether to hire professional caregivers or provide care themselves (WHO Europe, 2023).

The Netherlands further distinguishes itself in age-friendly urban planning, informal caregiver support, and dementia care innovation, integrating community engagement and technology into everyday services (European Commission, 2021).

Among the most celebrated practices is Sweden’s aging in place strategy, which prioritizes home-based care supported by trained municipal teams (European Commission, 2021). Germany’s flexible LTC benefits, allowing for both autonomy and family support, and the Netherlands’ neighborhood-based Buurtzorg model, which operates through small, self-managed care teams, have both earned international recognition for their ability to deliver highly personalized, community-focused care (WHO Europe, 2023).

Despite these successes, Europe’s elder care systems remain deeply uneven.

In Southern Europe—particularly Spain, Italy, and Greece—there is an overreliance on unpaid family caregivers, limited public homecare infrastructure, long waitlists for state support, and economic constraints that delay reform implementation (UN, 2023).

In Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, formal aging policy frameworks are minimal, the care workforce is underpaid, and aging is often viewed as a private family issue rather than a shared social responsibility (WHO Europe, 2023).

On an EU-wide scale, systemic challenges loom.
A projected shortage of 4.1 million long-term care workers by 2030 threatens the sustainability of even the most robust systems (WHO Europe, 2023). In addition, the absence of portable pension and health rights across borders leaves mobile seniors—especially intra-EU migrants—vulnerable to coverage gaps and legal uncertainty (European Commission, 2021).

KEY EU and NATIONAL AGING POLICIES

ASSESSMENT FOR SENIOR MIGRANTS 

Recognizing these gaps, international bodies have laid out clear action frameworks. 

The WHO Europe–EU Care Strategy(2022) sets a joint goal of achieving universal access to long-term care by 2030, emphasizing affordability, quality, and workforce resilience (WHO Europe, 2023). The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) urges European states to fund reforms and enforce protections that ensure older adults can live independently and with dignity (UN, 2023). The European Commission’s Green Paper on Ageing (2021) serves as a policy roadmap for active aging, lifelong learning, pension reform, and infrastructure investment (European Commission, 2021).

Conclusion

Europe’s aging story is both a testament to human progress and a warning against complacency. The continent’s most advanced elder care systems show that with political will, universal coverage, and community integration, healthy aging can be a shared reality (UN, 2023). Yet without urgent, well-funded national action, caregiver shortages, uneven access, and fragile cross-border rights will deepen existing inequalities. The European Care Strategy (2022) offers a roadmap, but implementation must be consistent and well-resourced.

The choice is stark: invest in a unified, resilient care framework that safeguards every older adult, or risk watching Europes gold standard erode into a patchwork of privilege and neglect. The next decade will determine whether the region can preserve its legacy as a global leader in aging policy—or see it quietly unravel under the weight of demographic change (WHO Europe, 2023).  Europe's long standing commitment to social welfare has made it a global benchmark for elder care... yet even here, cracks are surfacing.

The projected shortage of 4.1 million long-term care workers by 2030 (WHO, 2023), over-realiance on informal caregivers, and uneven policy implementation reveal a system under growing strain. While countries like Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany continue to led with robust national strategies and universal care, many others are struggling with sustainability and coverage gaps. The European Care Strategy (2022) offers a roadmap but without urgent, well-funded national action, even this region risks leaving its elders behind.

Will Europe invest its caregivers and aging population--or quietly let the very system it built fall into fragile decline? 

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© 2025 by Mariza L. Lendez. All rights reserved. www.chikicha.com 

This article "The Silent Crisis - The Aging Population No One is Prepared For" is forms part of my dissertation. All materials herein are protected by copyright and academic intellectual property laws. No part of this work may be reproduced, published, or distributed in whole or in part without express written permission from the author, except for academic citation or fair use with proper attribution. Based on verified data, peer-reviewed literature, and insights from national and global agencies and with the help of AI for deep research. 

Citation Format 

Lendez, Mariza (2025). [The Silent Crisis - The Aging Population No One is Prepared For]  In "Designing a Purpose-Driven Retirement Model Based on the IKIGAI Philosophy" (unpublished dissertation). Philippine Women's University.

CITATIONS:

1. European Commission. (2022). European Care Strategy for Caregivers and Care receivers. https://ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/european-care-strategy-caregivers-and-care-receivers-2022-09-07_en
2. European Commission. (2022). Long-term Care: Social protection models in the EU.https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/long-term-care-social-protection-models-eu_en
3. World Health Organization. (2023). Providing Access to Long-term care for older people. https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageing/providing-access-to-long-term-care-for-older-people#tab=tab_1
4. Joint Research Centre. (2021). Demographic Scenarios for the EU-2021 edition: Aging trends and labor force impacts. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/de896328-771b-11eb-9ac9-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

SILVER MIGRATION SERIES – ARTICLE 2 POLL: "How Confident Are You in Europe’s Long-Term Care Systems?"

PURPOSE: To assess public confidence in Europe's long-term elder care strategy and spark conversation about caregiver policy, retirement planning, and migration decisions.

"Your voice helps better policies, smarter migration choices, and a deeper understanding of what aging with dignity should look like across Europe."

Do you think your country in Europe is truly prepared to support its aging population with long-term care?

Optional Follow-Up Questions: "What’s your biggest concern about aging in Europe today?"

Which countries do you think offer the best aging support in Europe? (Select all that apply)