Unlicensed board and care homes: An extra-familial living arrangement for the elderly

This article examines the emergence of unlicensed board and care homes as alternative forms of housing arrangements for the elderly in the United States. The care of vulnerable and dependent adults in the private homes of unrelated individuals has a long historical tradition in Europe and the United States. However, unlicensed homes offering board and care have remained largely unnoticed and unexamined. Unlicensed board and care homes are pseudo familial types of residences providing food, shelter, and protective supervision to unrelated adults who are physically or emotionally impaired. Cross-sectional, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 177 caregivers in six counties in a mid-western state. The caregivers were found to provide good care in a social environment with few totalistic features, at a cost significantly below that charged by nursing homes. Moreover, caregivers were genuinely concerned about their residents' physical as well as emotional well-being.