mr president i just want to say that i fully support the motion on long-term care for older people
given the current demographics the issue of long-term care for older people is certainly a european issue and while it is largely the responsibility of the member states nonetheless because of the nature and the magnitude of the situation it is a european issue and has indeed been recognised as such
one of the issues highlighted in the resolution which i fully support is the need to take account of the needs of informal carers
they provide a significant proportion of the care that older people require
member states must take practical steps to support and safeguard this invaluable resource and they must do that by way of training respite care and other measures that will help to reconcile work and family life
one other point on the resolution that i want to highlight is that it asks that guarantees be put in place in member states to protect the fundamental rights of persons receiving long-term care and not just that the guarantees be put in place but that member states ensure that enforcement and compliance with quality criteria for service provision is ensured
