Social Policy and Administration, 36(1), February 2002, pp.1-19.
Publisher:
Wiley
Australia and the United Kingdom have tried various ways to contain the growth and cost of institutional care for older people. The Australian government adopted central planning strategies from the mid-1980s that succeeded in limiting nursing home places and increasing community services. The United Kingdom government in the mid-1990s required local governments to adopt quasi-market strategies but with less success in containing the growth and cost of institutional care. This article summarises the policy context in the two countries, compares aged-care trends, and then analysis the policy strategies used by these national governments. Finally, from the experiences of both countries, some lessons are drawn for aged care policy for the twenty-first century.
Australia and the United Kingdom have tried various ways to contain the growth and cost of institutional care for older people. The Australian government adopted central planning strategies from the mid-1980s that succeeded in limiting nursing home places and increasing community services. The United Kingdom government in the mid-1990s required local governments to adopt quasi-market strategies but with less success in containing the growth and cost of institutional care. This article summarises the policy context in the two countries, compares aged-care trends, and then analysis the policy strategies used by these national governments. Finally, from the experiences of both countries, some lessons are drawn for aged care policy for the twenty-first century.
Subject terms:
long term care, nursing homes, older people, residential care, social policy, care homes, comparative studies, cost effectiveness, financing;
Journal of Interprofessional Care, 16(1), February 2002, pp.19-29.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Hospital elderly care teams in England assess whether patients need assistance, such as community or residential care, upon discharge from hospital. Asks whether the type of multidisciplinary team influences post-hospital care decisions The aim of this study was to identify which factors predict the services that older people receive upon discharge from hospital. Three multidisciplinary teams were compared where different professionals took the lead in co-ordinating the care assessment process. Data were collected in a case note review of patients aged 75 years and over: patient characteristics, referral patterns, and the types of service received in the month after leaving hospital. Multivariate statistical analysis (controlling for patient characteristics) showed different predictors for different post-hospital services. The results suggest that multidisciplinary team configurations influence post-hospital services for older patients, reflecting professional preoccupations as much as patient care needs.
Hospital elderly care teams in England assess whether patients need assistance, such as community or residential care, upon discharge from hospital. Asks whether the type of multidisciplinary team influences post-hospital care decisions The aim of this study was to identify which factors predict the services that older people receive upon discharge from hospital. Three multidisciplinary teams were compared where different professionals took the lead in co-ordinating the care assessment process. Data were collected in a case note review of patients aged 75 years and over: patient characteristics, referral patterns, and the types of service received in the month after leaving hospital. Multivariate statistical analysis (controlling for patient characteristics) showed different predictors for different post-hospital services. The results suggest that multidisciplinary team configurations influence post-hospital services for older patients, reflecting professional preoccupations as much as patient care needs.
Subject terms:
home care, hospitals, interprofessional relations, nurses, multidisciplinary services, occupational therapists, needs, older people, patients, hospital discharge, policy, residential care, social care provision, social workers, assessment, community care, health care;