THE HISTORY OF LONG-TERM CARE IN POLAND AND IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The following article presents the history of the origin, as well as the determinants of development of long-term care both in Poland and the European Union. For the purposes of Polish health care system, the long-term care has been defined as long-lasting, continuous, professional care and rehabilitation, as well as continuation of either pharmacological or dietary treatment, realized institutionally (stationary or domestic), in order to maintain the health and safety of patients with significant deficits in self-care. In the first part, I present demographic situation, which is the main factor contributing to the emergence and development of long-term care in Poland and in the world. In the second part, I present the general principles for the implementation of health services provided to chronically ill people within the contracting of the National Health Fund. To sum up, the article is concluded by the summary.