In the context of an aging population, it is important that social services and support are available to all, regardless of where they live. As of 2020, there are about 200,000 adults in Estonia identified as in need of care. In order to ensure access to services and support for those in need, including their close ones who provide support and care for them, it is necessary to standardize the assessment of the need for care and support.

The major problem in Estonia is the fragmentation of services (especially in terms of health and social care, but also in terms of local government versus the state). On the one hand, the person in them does not know where and what services they should receive, on the other hand, the provider of needs assessment and support services for people with special needs does not have a uniform overview of the needs of the person in need. In this way, the person in need often gets caught between several systems and does not receive the necessary services. As Estonia is moving towards decentralization of services, the assessment of needs as well as the care burden and the organization of services should take place through the local government.

Today, the tool for assessing the need for help and support is used as an assessment tool for the need for special care services and as one of the tools for assessing the need for social rehabilitation services and for implementing a person-centered special care service model in local governments.