The Gerontologist, Vol 35, Issue 6 803-813, Copyright © 1995 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

How costly is it to care for disabled elders in a community setting?

BS Harrow, SL Tennstedt and JB McKinlay
New England Research Institutes, Watertown, MA 02172, USA.

This article describes the total cost of care, including both informal caregiving and formal services for a cohort of disabled elderly living in the community. The cost of informal caregiving hours was calculated using a market value approach. The total annual cost of caring was estimated to be $9,600. Increased disability was associated with increased costs. High-cost elders were more likely to be severely disabled, live with their caregiver, and become institutionalized. For most elders, even the cost of a complete substitution of informal care for formal services, plus living expenses, was less costly than nursing home care.

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