Geriatric rehabilitation: perspectives from the United Kingdom

Although rehabilitation professionals acknowledge the need for more services for the aging American society, only recently has there been large-scale discussion on the state of geriatric rehabilitation in the United States. In contrast, geriatric rehabilitation has been a central component of British health planning since the beginning of the National Health Service in 1948. In the hope of stimulating discussion, this article examines geriatric rehabilitation services in the United Kingdom. Contrasts between the UK and US are drawn to highlight the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system of care. The importance of cultural determinants to health care services is emphasized.