The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care (EEG) published a Report on the Transition from Institutional Care to Community-Based Services in 27 EU Member States (PDF).

Upon a mandate from the European Commission and in consultation with the members of the EEG, the authors of the present Report, Jan Šiška and Julie Beadle-Brown, inquired how far the transition from institutional to family and community-based care and support has progressed in the past 10 years.

This Report offers a broad picture on situations, solutions and trends in deinstitutionalisation (DI) and community-living in the EU for persons with disabilities, with mental health problems, experiencing homeless, children (including children with disabilities and unaccompanied or separated migrant children), and older adults in 27 EU countries. Based on the findings, the Report furthermore highlights key concerns and potential solutions that have emerged from its analysis.

The Report comes at a critical juncture. The defining negative aspects of institutionalisation (the congregation of a large number of people in one building and the deprivation of social contacts) are increasingly blatant and only tend to aggravate with exposure to the virus. The way this crisis is affecting those who need daily care and their support systems stems from structural underinvestment in the inclusion and well-being of all, and in the promotion of different models of support in the community.

The EEG and its members are committed to continue their advocacy efforts and to support the EU, its Member States and other key actors in their deinstitutionalisation efforts and strongly encourages them to ensure that the rights of persons in need of care and support are not to further compromised by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download here: Report on the Transition from Institutional Care to Community-Based Services in 27 EU Member States (PDF)