Abstract:

Statistical data, 1960s-present, informs a description of the institutional arrangements for long-term care of the elderly in the Netherlands. Despite a population that is relatively young for Western Europe, Dutch policy was quick to address aging, initially focusing on institutional care. As of 1982, 3% of those ages 65+ lived in nursing homes; 9% lived in homes for the elderly. Though most elderly lived independently, 35% were projected to have at least a temporary stay in one of these types of facilities, which are used primarily by the frail elderly, are nonproft, & are financed by direct & indirect taxation. In 1985, 92% of the 149,000 beds in homes for the elderly were occupied; 74% of residents were women. Costs have increased substantially since the 1960s, & use of specific planning criteria & needs assessment have had limited success in containing them. More successful has been the establishment of home- & community-based long-term care, yielding financial & social benefits to both the elderly & society as a whole.