Guest editorial: Reforming Home Care in Ageing Societies

In the context of ageing societies, the importance of home-based care is growing in all OECD countries. Home care is widely considered to be a financially sus-tainable way of supporting the independence and accommodating the preferences of older and disabled people; demand for home based care and support is likely to increase in the future. The number and share of the population aged 80+ will continue to grow in all developed countries and, despite the fact that disability prevalence rates have declined in some countries, greater longevity is likely to lead to an increasing number of people at older ages with severe disabilities and need for long-term care (Lafortune & Balestat 2007). With falling rates of institutional living, growing numbers will rely on home care services; this also means that home care