The Development of Parallel Services for the Elderly and Disabled Some Financial Dimensions

Abstract

Development of at-home and community care for the disabled has been frustrated by a combination of myths about the costs of at-home care and by a neglect of maintenance in favor of treatment in current financing mechanisms. Evidence indicates that at-home programs can be economical for 15 to 25% of the institutionalized population and for 14% of the non-institutional aged also in need of home-delivered personal care services. Alternatives are proposed with which to produce viable at-home programs.