Social Assistance for Elderly People

Abstract

Accelerating the ageing process is of key importance for social policies and the modernisation of social protection. Social protection aims to guarantee the quality of life, which must be adapted to the elderly. Two principles must guide this social policy: solidarity between generations and equity between them.Health care systems, in particular long-term care services, are faced with difficulties in simultaneously guaranteeing three objectives: access for all regardless of income, a high level of quality of care and the financial viability of care systems. The work is based on a documentation of social protection systems in the European Community.