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Home- and community-based long-term care: lessons from Denmark
1Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. stuart@umbc.edu
The Gerontologist
|August 8, 2001
Summary
Denmark
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health Policy
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Denmark is recognized for its advanced home- and community-based care systems for the elderly.
- The study examines Denmark's integrated long-term care model as a natural experiment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the outcomes of Denmark's integrated home- and community-based services.
- To assess implications for United States elder care policy and expenditures.
Main Methods:
- International comparative policy analysis.
- Site visits and semistructured interviews with Danish leaders.
- Review of published literature, reports, and administrative data from Denmark and the US.
Main Results:
- Danish long-term care expenditures have stabilized after 12 years of integrated services.
- Expenditures for the over-80 population decreased, and long-term care as a percentage of GDP dropped.
- Access and quality of Danish services remain satisfactory, contrasting with rising US expenditures and persistent access/quality deficits.
Conclusions:
- Denmark's model offers valuable insights for US policymakers.
- Potential strategies to curb Medicare and Medicaid spending for elders are highlighted.
- The study supports expanding home- and community-based services in the US.