Medical care services for the elderly

National statistical reflections of post-1960 changes in health care delivery to the elderly are correlated to evolving government health policies. Data from relevant sources are reviewed in terms of morbidity, acute service usage, long-term care services, manpower availability, & cost concerns. The current health care system is argued to have developed without clear direction. Short-term political solutions over the last twenty years have led to an accumulation of long-term problems. The preoccupation with cost containment, furthermore, will continue to exacerbate unresolved delivery problems, while forcing significant changes in the care of elderly patients for the foreseeable future. The short-term effects may be uniformity of charges for similar services, although access to these services may be limited. 4 Tables, 49 References. R. McCarthy