Long-Term Care in International Perspective

The findings of a study of long-term care policies in 18 countries are reported in this article. Initial data were collected by a questionnaire survey under the auspices of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). These data were supplemented by published documents and government statistics obtained while researching long-term care for the ISSA and, subsequently, for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The principal focus is a cross-national comparison of institutionalization rates for the elderly. Differences in use rates for medically oriented facilities are less than those for non-medical residential long-term care facilities. Only a small amount of variation is related to demographic differences, such as older or more female elderly populations in those countries with higher institutionalization rates. Included also is a description of the modes of financing long-term care. (Health Care Financing Review Annual Supplement, 1988) [23 PDF pages]