Nations Update Long-Term Care Policy Frameworks
New policy guidance helps families navigate the shifting landscape of publicly funded eldercare and caregiver support.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Eldercare
Live Poll
Should governments provide more public funding for long-term elder care instead of relying on families?
The Pan American Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank have released a new policy brief addressing the governance and financing of long-term care systems. As the population of adults aged 60 and older in the Americas is projected to reach 306 million by 2050, the report highlights the current gap between national policy and funded care systems.
Why it matters
Fragmented services and limited funding currently force many families to rely on informal, unpaid caregiving to bridge the gap. This policy brief provides a framework for nations to modernize support structures as the regional demand for eldercare increases significantly.
While 88 percent of countries now report including long-term care in national legislation, only 15 of 35 PAHO member states currently possess a formal, publicly funded care system. Additionally, just seven of the responding countries provide formal legal recognition and support for informal caregivers.
The players
Pan American Health Organization
An international public health agency that coordinates health policies and standards across the Americas.
Inter-American Development Bank
A financial institution that funds sustainable economic and social development projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
The details
Nations are increasingly adopting strategies like those in Uruguay, which established a National Integrated Care System in 2015. This model uses a shared governance structure to coordinate financing and services across multiple government levels, relying on standardized assessments to determine individual care needs. The brief emphasizes that these coordinated systems are necessary to reduce the economic burden on informal caregivers, whose labor is currently valued at 0.8 to 4.9 percent of regional GDP.
Timeline
2015: Uruguay established its National Integrated Care System.
2020: 61 percent of surveyed countries included long-term care policies.
2025: Nations participated in the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing midterm review.
October 29, 2026: The report was released for the International Day of Care and Support.
2050: 306 million people in the Americas are projected to be aged 60 or older.
The Home Front
The transition toward formal long-term care systems mirrors a broader shift in how nations manage the rising costs of an aging population. This framework signals a departure from the historical reliance on uncompensated family labor toward integrated, publicly funded support models.
Families should research current local or national resources for caregiver support, as policy changes may begin to prioritize formal systems over informal care. Reviewing long-term care insurance or local elder support services is a wise step to prepare for potential future gaps in coverage.
The takeaway
Families should recognize that informal caregiving often serves as the current bedrock of elder support, but national policy is beginning to shift toward formal, funded structures. Keep a record of current caregiving hours and expenses to better navigate potential future support entitlements as new national systems are implemented.
Further reading
For more on how shifts in care policy affect household planning, visit our section on Eldercare.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Caribbeannewsglobal.
Live Poll
Should governments provide more public funding for long-term elder care instead of relying on families?
