Worlds Apart?

Here is a timely analysis of Australia's response to the long-term care needs of the elderly relative to that in the United States in the early 1980s. Despite similarities in their rationale for public sector involvement in the support of services for the aged and demographic and governmental similarities, the countries have taken substantially different policy approaches. In this very comprehensive examination, the author reviews the shared concerns and key policy issues regarding long-term care in Australia and the United States, compares the demographics and government structures, studies the overall structure of each country's long-term care system, examines costs and institutionalization rates, and evaluates the major strengths and weaknesses of new initiatives in each country. This thorough examination will assist health professionals in both countries in determining whether different strategies meet with different levels of success and at what cost.