Meetings on long-term care in Cyprus

"On Monday, May 25, 2026, a delegation from the Cyprus Third Age Observatory, consisting of the organization's Executive President, Mr. Dimos Antoniou, and Senior Officer Maria Peter, held a series of important meetings. Accompanied by the President of the European Ageing Network (EAN), Mr. Jiri Horecky, and key institutional stakeholders, the meetings focused on strengthening long-term care policies in the country."

The meetings took place in a particularly positive and constructive atmosphere with the Minister of Health, Mr. Neophytos Charalambides; the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs. Clea Papaellina; the Director General of the Deputy Ministry, Mr. Yiannis Nicolaides; the Patient Advocate, Mr. Marios Charalambides; the President of KYSOA, Mrs. Themis Anthopoulou; the Director General of OSAK, Mr. Andreas Christodoulou; as well as other government officials.

At the center of the discussions was the need for "Ageing in Place," enhancing the quality of life for older people with an emphasis on dignity, safety, and social inclusion, the introduction of trained caregivers aimed at addressing the severe staff shortage, the utilization of global best practices from the European Ageing Network for long-term care, and the promotion of combined funding models based on European examples and analyses by the EAN.

All involved stakeholders emphasized the importance of close cooperation between the State, social partners, and European organizations for the development of a modern, sustainable, and person-centered care system for older people, individuals with disabilities, and chronic patients in Cyprus.