title: [Trends and reforms in long-term care policies for the elderly].
abstract: One of the main public health concerns in medium and high-income countries is how to deal with problems of functional dependency of a growing number of elderly individuals. This study aimed to identify converging issues in 30 countries with formal long-term care systems. A systematic review included articles, studies, and comparative international reports published from 2010 to 2015. The results show three trends in the design and development of these policies: (a) focus on the oldest or most dependent elderly, (b) expansion of financing based on individual contribution, and (c) promotion of home care and financial benefits for care in specialized centers (nursing homes and similar establishments). All three have positive effects on cost containment, despite limited evidence of impacts on people's health.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Economía, Métodos Cuantitativos e Historia Económica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, España.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matus-López
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009313:National Health Programs; D019472:Universal Health Insurance