Research has found that approximately 80 percent of the care received by elderly people living at home is provided by family members. Although assistance provided by informal supports can be important in sustaining the functionally disabled elderly at home, caregiving can have important negative effects on the informal providers. To examine the…

Several conventional approaches to conceptualization and the measurement of objectives in publicly funded, long-term home care for the non-institutionalized elderly are reviewed critically. The formulation of objectives which focus on immediate, desired consequences of services, and lend themselves to behavioral measurement, is proposed. The…

Home care has not consistently proven to prevent institutionalization, reduce mortality rates, reduce hospital use, or improve functional status and morale; and indeed, these objectives may be unreasonable. Rather, the purpose of home care should be to meet immediate needs of recipients which they can no longer meet themselves. Publicly-funded…