Services related to long-term inpatient care plus community care services, such as day care centers and social services for the chronically ill, the elderly, and other groups with special needs, such as the mentally ill, the mentally handicapped, and the physically handicapped.

The borderline between health care and social care varies from country to country, especially regarding social services that involve a significant, but not dominant health care component, such as, for example, long-term care for dependent older people.

World Health Organization. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Glossary. 2009.