title: "Lifecare": a viable option for long-term care for the elderly.
abstract: In the absence of any coherent US long-term care policy, the "lifecare" or "continuing care" retirement community (CCRC) has emerged as one viable model, providing housing, health care, social supports, and long-term care insurance to about 300,000 elderly Americans. Some CCRCs have also demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of a health care philosophy targeted to the maximum functional independence (MFI) of residents. Broad dissemination of the CCRC model and the philosophy of MFI depend on development of new approaches to the role of government and private health insurance along with a new understanding of, and commitment to, risk management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Somers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D014481:United States