Long-term care brings together a range of medical and social
services for persons who are dependent on help with basic
activities of daily living, caused by chronic conditions of
physical or mental disability. This care and support is often
carried out, at least partly, by informal carers such as
relatives or friends. Long-term care operate at the boundaries
between health care and social care, and is usually provided to
persons with physical or mental handicaps, the frail elderly and
particular groups that need support in conducting their daily
life activities. Different divisions of responsibilities
(private / family - public), different organisation of health
care and social care, as well as differences in defining
boundaries between the medical and the social care result in
great variations of long-term care services, their organisation
and their role within the social protection systems of the
Member States. In the European Union, Member States are
responsible for the planning, funding and administration