Attitudes toward long-term care contain a strong residue of negativity in today’s society and current problems with the system augment such perceptions. Unless dealt with now, this will only get worse, as the 85-and-older crowd is the fastest growing part of the population, and the first wave of Baby Boomers is approaching 60. Exploring and delineating the issues from every angle, the Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy addresses key areas such as history, trends, and outlook for this growing concern.

The first part of the handbook provides the context for the rest of the volume. The heart of the text, it covers topics such as public perception, understanding system failure, and the tensions between the social model and the medical model. Part two focuses on recipients and their care givers while part three emphasizes services, exploring models that confront the barriers to achieving coordination of care. Part four addresses issues related to the administration of care such as the context in which governing bodies have evolved, ethical concerns, and the importance and benefits of transparency of information. The book concludes with an examination of policymaking and funding, the challenges inherent in getting long term care on the public agenda, geriatric mental health needs, and future issues that will fuel a national debate.

A stand-alone text introducing long-term care administration and policy, this book provides a foundation for understanding the fragmented service delivery system and a guide through the maze of long-term health care.