In Europe people are living longer. The consequences of this have a considerable effect on both, the health and long term care sectors throughout the European communities. As a result, care homes and nursing homes in each country are challenged to achieve high quality services at reasonable cost, although confronted with the same demands. In order to discuss together the problems of care and assistance for our elder citizens, the chairmen of several national associations of directors of care homes in Europe held their first meeting in Hamburg in 1987.

One important objective of this meeting was to strengthen exchange of interests and practice, and to install regular meetings to open up opportunities for exchange of information and experience between the different national associations. In fact, at these meetings certain decisions were taken and given broad diffusion such as the quality of care and nursing assistance for elder citizens in homes, and the conditions in which staff in the home care sector in Europe can efficiently carry out their work.

On 6th April 1989, the E.D.E. (European Association for Directors and Providers of Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly) was founded in Luxembourg. The E.D.E. is a professional organisation of residential and nursing home managers from all European countries.