Alternatives to Institutional Care of the Elderly: Beyond the Dichotomy

Abstract

The seemingly inevitable growth in the demand for long-term care services and accompanying cost implications have spurred strong interest in seeking alternatives to nursing homes. The rationale for such alternatives is a mixture of prevention, displacement, and deinstitutionalization; none may result. The alternative services may prove to be additive rather than substitutive. Much research is needed to provide the basis for examining the variety of proposed alternatives to allow us to compare costs and benefits in some reasonable fashion.