Despite vast differences in their organisation and state of development, long-term care systems in the EU face a number of common challenges against the background of rising demand fuelled by population ageing. Notably, these include guaranteeing access to affordable and high quality long-term care (LTC) services to a rising number of people in need; ensuring the availability of an appropriately skilled workforce and supporting informal carers. Finally, all of the above needs to be done in a cost-effective and efficient way to meet the challenge of fiscal sustainability of public expenditure on LTC. Technological advances and digitisation is often seen as a solution to some of the issues in the sector as well as it is becoming a normal part of life in other areas. This note reviews the literature covering the role of new technologies (including robotics, artificial intelligence and innovative use of already existing technologies) in addressing the challenges set out above. The main focus is on assistive technologies which include a digital or Information and Communication Technology (ICT) component.

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