90% without support: the home care crisis in Ukraine
23.03.2026
Articles
In Ukraine, between 2 and 3 million people require home care, yet in reality only around 10% actually receive it. This means that the vast majority are left to cope with their daily needs on their own.
In practice, this looks like this:
- people have no help with basic tasks — hygiene, mobility, and meals
- healthcare workers often do not reach them
- the system fails to identify such people — they are forced to seek help themselves
In reality, care relies not on the state, but on families. According to research:
- over 80% of people with carers do not receive official support
- most carers lack proper training
- many are forced to leave their jobs to care for loved ones
This is a huge, yet almost invisible, labour without which the system simply would not exist.
One of the key problems is fragmentation:
- the healthcare system operates separately
- social services operate separately
- responsibilities are often unclear
As a result, people who need help are effectively left without it.
To change the situation, systemic steps are needed:
- integrating medical and social care
- developing a comprehensive home care service
- supporting family carers
- training and support
- clear accountability at the community level
Today, home care in Ukraine is not a well-established service, but a daily struggle for families. And without systemic changes, the situation will not change for most people.
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