Home health services for the elderly: the English way

Strengthening home health and related community services for the care of the elderly at home has received high priority in policy statements on the National Health Service. Findings from a series of recent studies and reports on these issues are reviewed, highlighting accomplishments and problems of primary health care teams, especially the district nurses, and the many other contributing community services. Seven lessons are discussed, emphasizing the relationships among home health and other community services, the importance of voluntary services, the impact of hospital and psychiatric services, needs for special training, difficulties of cost analyses, and the slow pace of progress.