Geographical change in residential care provision for the elderly in England, 1988-93

This paper offers an investigation of the spatial consequences of changes in the structural organization of residential care in England between 1988 and 1993. Data from various government publications were analysed using descriptive and spatial statistical methods. While the study period witnessed an overall levelling of residential care growth, the independent (i.e. private and voluntary) sector's share of all elderly residents in England increased from 56% to 73%. At both national and intra-regional scales, the structural changes resulted in an increasing geographical concentration of public sector residents and a moderate trend towards a more uniform spatial distribution of private residents.