Country Diagnostic Study on Long-Term Care in Sri Lanka

By Asian Development Bank

This publication presents findings of a study on the availability and provision of long-term care (LTC) in Sri Lanka, including the need for and supply of LTC, regulatory and policy frameworks, service provision, quality management, human resources, and financing. Analysis, conclusions, and recommendations for the development of LTC systems in Sri Lanka are also included. It contributes to the development of an in-depth knowledge base on LTC policies, programs, and systems. It is one of six country diagnostic studies—the others on Indonesia, Mongolia, Tonga, Thailand, and Viet Nam—prepared under the Asian Development Bank technical assistance 9111: Strengthening Developing Member Countries’ Capacity in Elderly Care.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9789292629175

Book preview

COUNTRY DIAGNOSTIC STUDY ON LONG-TERM CARE IN SRI LANKA

JULY 2021

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO)

© 2021 Asian Development Bank

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Some rights reserved. Published in 2021.

ISBN 978-92-9262-916-8 (print); 978-92-9262-917-5 (electronic); 978-92-9262-918-2 (ebook)

Publication Stock No. TCS210218-2

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/TCS210218-2

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Notes: In this publication, $ refers to United States dollars, and SLR refers to Sri Lankan rupee. ADB recognizes China as the People’s Republic of China.

On the cover: As Sri Lanka’s population ages, the need for care among older persons also increases, presenting social and economic challenges to families, policymakers and other stakeholders (photos from ADB Photo Library).

CONTENTS

TABLES, FIGURES, AND BOXES

FOREWORD

Rapid aging in Asia and the Pacific has put the region at the forefront of one of the most important global trends. The demographic shift is largely the result of both increased longevity and decreased fertility rates, which are both examples of development success. The change is happening at an unprecedented pace: in 2020, 13% of the population in the Asia and Pacific region is aged 60 or above, and by 2050, it is expected to increase to 24%, or roughly 1.3 billion people. At the same time, traditional family support systems are weakening due to increased migration, urbanization, decreasing family sizes, and expanding female labor market participation. Even when family care support is available, people with complex care needs and their caregivers require additional support.

The demographic, economic, and social trends are resulting in a growing need to establish and finance long-term care (LTC) services and develop the enabling environments to support older people to age well and help families and communities to care for their older citizens. The development of models of care that are affordable, sustainable, accessible, efficacious, and adapted to local contexts is sorely needed.

The window of opportunity to plan for, prepare, and adapt to the needs of aging populations is now. There is great diversity among countries in the region. Some are aging at a fast rate and need to adapt quickly, others will age slower, but will end up with very large older populations. What is common, however, is that countries in the region will see change in the coming years and need to prepare for it. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its disproportionate impacts on older persons and on existing care systems have illustrated how important it is to strengthen existing systems and develop new capacities.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has a growing portfolio on LTC, and is working to capitalize on opportunities of increased population longevity and help mitigate the social and fiscal risks of population aging. In May 2016, ADB approved the regional capacity development technical assistance for the Strengthening Developing Member Countries’ Capacity in Elderly Care project, to help increase the capacity of developing member countries to design policies and plans for the improvement of their