Annual Factsheet
State of the Long-Term Care Caregivers in Europe
Eldicare 2.0, supported by the European Union Erasmus and Alliance for Innovation programmes, aims to strengthen the cooperation among organisations from different sectors working on care for older people and health and social care.
Eldicare 2.0 aims to support professionals providing care for older people, through the development of a sectoral skills long-term strategy that will tackle skills gaps on the labour market, as well as anticipate future skills.
This factsheet aims to provide updated data-driven insights into the skills needs of care workers to guide education and workforce planning. This data is the result of a library and publications review done by the project partners (ESN, Eurocarers, EVBB and EAN).
Employment Data | EU and countries
- People aged 18 years or over who care for one or more disabled or infirm family member, neighbour or friend, of any age, more than twice a week, both informal and formal carers
- Eurofound EQLS 2020
| Austria | 7% |
| Bulgaria | 8% |
| Czech Republic | 9% |
| France | 26% |
| Spain | 13% |
| EU | 12% |
Informal Carers
- Informal carers are a major – and often the only – source of care for people with LTC needs across OECD countries.
- Among analysed 19 OECD countries analysed, about 60% of older people reported receiving only informal care.
- Rocard and Llena-Nozal, 2022
People aged 50 and over providing informal care
| Austria | 23% |
| Bulgaria | 11% |
| Czech Republic | 19% |
| France | 15% |
| Spain | 12% |
| OECD 25 | 13% |
Employment
- 42% LTC workers work part time, double the rate for the entire workforce (19%). Many do so because they cannot find full-time work (30% in non-residential LTC, 20% in residential LTC)
Demographic Outlook
Population Aged 65+ in the EU:
- 2024: 21.6%
- Projected 2080: 29%
- Population structure and ageing - Statistics Explained - Eurostat
Education & Training of Care Workers
- Personal Care Workers: 67% have medium-level qualifications
- Nurses typically hold higher-level diplomas
- CEDEFOP (2023) Care workers: skills opportunities and challenges
Skills & Competencies Needed in LTC
Key Employer Priorities
- Transversal Skills: Adaptability, teamwork, and language proficiency
- Task-Related Skills: Computer use, planning & scheduling, assistance provision, coordination
- Soft Skills: Problem-solving, responsibility, and collaboration
- CEDEFOP (2023) Care workers: skills opportunities and challenges
Technology in Care
LTC providers are increasingly using:
- Alarm systems
- Fall sensors
- GPS tracking (for older people mobility in residential and home care)
- Combating the unwanted loneliness of older people (ATENEA)
- OECD (2020) Empowering the health workforce Strategies to make the most of the digital revolution
Quality of Care (Pandemic Impact)
- 20% of care recipients (aged 50+) had difficulty accessing adequate external care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Eurofund (2022) COVID-19 and older people: Impact on their lives, support and care