Ways of thinking about the long-term care of the baby-boom cohorts.
In examining various ways of thinking about the development of long-term care policy for the baby-boom cohorts, this article discusses the importance of basing long-term care policy discussions on a recognition of social and economic trends, as well as on the informal exchanges of care that occur over life and the diversity within the baby-boom cohorts. The implications of two ways of thinking about challenges posed by the aging of baby boomers--the generational equity/crisis perspective and the generational investment/gradual adjustment perspective are also discussed. It is suggested that the generational equity perspective is consonant with proposals to expand private savings for long-term care contingencies and private long-term insurance and, secondarily, with proposals to expand means-testing for benefits. The second perspective is more consistent with proposals to create new universal services through a traditional social insurance approach, or through a block grant such as the one discussed in the context of the Clinton health care reform plan.
Kingson
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Graduate School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167, USA.
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D007353:Insurance, Long-Term Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States