Based on a comparative study covering 15 Western European countries, this edited volume examines the responses of long-term cares homes for older people to the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the preparedness of governments and residences and the structural weaknesses revealed and exacerbated by the crisis, such as staff shortages, the precariousness of employment in the sector and the deficient coordination between the health and the caring sectors. By examining the governance structures of the care home sector and their performance before and during the crisis, the book highlights the institutional, organisational and management challenges facing care homes, both in continuing to provide services to an increasingly ageing population and in the event of future public health crises.