COVID-19 uncovered many of the ways that our care systems, such as child care and long-term care, are dysfunctional. Most EU Member States still rely on models that lean heavily on undervalued and underpaid carers and perpetuate health and socioeconomic inequalities. This leaves countries unprepared to meet today’s and future challenges. Alternative approaches to care are out there.
Recently EuroHealthNet published a ‘Policy Precis’. This policy brief sets out models of ‘health-promoting’ care. Such models value care workers and empower those who need care, such as children, older people and those with chronic diseases or disabilities. They strengthen collaboration across sectors, and encourage and enable people to become more socially engaged, and to participate in the formal economy, thereby contributing to an ‘Economy of Wellbeing’. This Policy Précis explores how current care models perpetuate inequalities and gives an overview of EU policies, tools and programmes that can help governments at all levels.
About Didier Jourdan
