The long-term care system for the elderly in Romania

The current tendency in Romania is to shift elderly care away from institutional care to home care or assisted living (Strategic National Report Regarding Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008-2010 – Romania). The assumption is that home care is the preferred method of care by the elderly because it allows them to maintain their independence and social network and also decreases governmental expenditure on LTC. However, this assumption may not be correct since home care implies a greater involvement on the part of the person’s family or legal guardian, who in turn may be giving up part of his/her job in order to provide the necessary care. The financial opportunity cost of people who devote their time and attention to their dependents was not properly evaluated in Europe or in Romania.