This background paper begins with a discussion of the overall goal of promoting healthy and active ageing, followed by three sections that compare developments in the EU and US in the following key areas: 1) Enhancing independence by receiving care at home and in the community as much as possible; 2) Identifying sources of quality LTC services, including supporting family caregivers, promoting consumer-directed approaches to services, and developing the capacity of the LTC workforce; and 3) Ensuring sustainable financing of LTC systems.