Long-term care insurance and unmet needs in China: perspectives of older adults and family members

With population aging, many countries have introduced long-term care insurance (LTCI) and provide home-based services for older adults. Grounded in the convoy of care framework, this study investigated the lived experiences of older recipients and their families, exploring how specific policy features relate to unmet care needs. Qualitative data were collected from 24 older recipients and their family members in Guangzhou, China. Findings revealed four LTCI policy mechanisms that alleviated unmet needs: (1) enrolling individuals to use formal care, (2) flexibility in choosing caregivers, (3) integrating home care agency nurses into care networks, and (4) providing training for caregivers. Yet, unmet needs were identified due to suboptimal policy features: the inadequacy of LTCI benefits, the lack of program information, and limited access to individualized care-related goods. To enhance care outcomes, policymakers could incorporate our findings into the development of LTCI programs.