The United Nations estimates that 46% of people over 60 worldwide live with a disability [1]. This means that almost half of older people are part of the disability community.
While they might not self-identify as a person with disabilities, the reality is that many of the challenges older people face overlap with those we experience in the disability community.
Yet public debate on ageing, disability, and long-term support remains limited – despite Europe’s rapidly ageing population.
What are the overlaps between ageing and disability?
Older persons, persons with disabilities, and those who belong to both groups often encounter:
- Unmet support needs;
- Lack of choice and autonomy;
- Barriers to independent living and community inclusion;
- The high cost of support services;
- Insufficient support for informal carers, who are often women.
Long-term support at the intersection of ageing and disability
When we talk about support for older people, including older persons with disabilities, the focus must be on autonomy, not dependency.
Ensuring access to personalised, community-based support, such as in-home support and personal assistance, is essential to safeguard autonomy and prevent institutionalisation.
Issues in long-term support for persons with disabilities and older people
Addressing long-term support means recognising the overlapping needs of older people and persons with disabilities, and ensuring support systems uphold autonomy and inclusion. Key challenges include:
Inclusion in the community and the right to choose
All persons receiving support must have the right to choose their services, based on informed consent. Information on available services should be accessible and easy to understand, particularly for those who have lived much of their lives without choice.
The risk of institutionalisation increases when personalised services are limited or unaffordable. Expanding the availability and affordability of in-home and community-based support is essential.
Unmet needs and the availability of service providers
One of the biggest challenges in long-term support is the high prevalence of unmet support needs and the limited availability of quality service providers. This issue is becoming increasingly urgent as Europe’s population ages.
Access to formal support remains a pressing concern: about 1 in 3 people in need of support are unable to access it, with those on lower incomes often facing the greatest gaps.
Providing person-centred, community-based services that are both high-quality and widely available depends on attracting and retaining skilled care workers.
Why support is also a gender issue
Long-term support disproportionately affects women.
Older women are more likely than men to need support and face greater barriers to living independently. Among older people with support needs, around 37% of women over 65 require long-term support, compared to 23% of men.
Informal carers are mostly women, who often leave employment to provide support, affecting their pensions and future independence. Older women with disabilities face compounded risks of social isolation and institutionalisation, amplified by gendered stereotypes and systemic inequalities.
Keeping families together through long-term support
As people age, many find themselves unexpectedly becoming informal carers for a spouse, partner, sibling, or parent who develops a disability often while managing their own health and ageing. Likewise, persons with disabilities may later become carers for ageing parents. This dual role can place heavy strain on one’s wellbeing.
Ensuring that families can stay together requires accessible and affordable community-based services, such as in-home support and personal assistance.