| The United States has not been particularly receptive, as many European and Asian communities have been, to the implementation of equitable and accessible community-based care services for the elderly. This comparative analysis includes a brief history of changes that have occurred in the aging population and the development of health care delivery systems in several industrialized countries, as well as a description of innovative aging programs and what implications these paradigms of care may have for the U.S. The relative success of each aging program was based on adherence to a model developed by the author. The countries selected for examination in this study are Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Japan. It was concluded that comprehensive geriatric team assessments, targeting those at highest risk for institutionalization, coordinated service centers, and volunteer networks hold the most promise for emulation by the United States for care of its growing elderly population. |
