The paper is based on the specifics of long-term care social services and the current developments in European countries in the sense of two major reports prepared at the level of the European Commission. It shows trends in the need for and selected aspects of the consumption and financing of LTC social services, but, given its heterogeneity, which complicates international comparisons, it notes only selected elements that are relevant for its financing that can be seen from available comparisons. The aim of this paper is to – at the theoretical level – highlight the realities affecting the mechanisms and sustainability of financing of social services for long-term care.