title: Danish home care policy and the family: implications for the United States.
abstract: This paper provides an overview of reforms in Danish long-term care initiated in the early 1980s, describes the relationship between elder care in Denmark and the family, and considers implications for U.S. policy. The success of Denmark's community-based experimentation with new models of home care and housing for the elderly resulted in a national decision to eliminate new construction of nursing homes and increase access to publicly funded home care. Lingering concern that the provision of paid assistance for the elderly could undermine family structure is allayed by the findings of a recent survey: Three-fourths of the elderly report seeing their children on a weekly or more frequent basis. Findings from the Danish experience provide evidence that community-based services can aid family caregivers, enable the frail elderly to live in the setting of their choice, and be cost-effective from a public policy perspective.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. stuart@umbc.edu
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Eigil Boll
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003718:Denmark; D005190:Family; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006291:Health Policy; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States