title: How costly is it to care for disabled elders in a community setting?
abstract: This article describes the total cost of care, including both informal caregiving and formal services for a cohort of disabled elderly living in the community. The cost of informal caregiving hours was calculated using a market value approach. The total annual cost of caring was estimated to be $9,600. Increased disability was associated with increased costs. High-cost elders were more likely to be severely disabled, live with their caregiver, and become institutionalized. For most elders, even the cost of a complete substitution of informal care for formal services, plus living expenses, was less costly than nursing home care.
authors.affiliation: New England Research Institutes, Watertown, MA 02172, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Harrow
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tennstedt
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McKinlay
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts