As nuclear families are becoming the order of the day, greater life expectancy of elderly people, the geographical dispersion of families and the tendency for women to be educated and work outside the home has resulted in “Care homes for the elderly”. Traditionally elder care has been the responsibility of family members and was provided within the extended family home. However, in modern societies, elder care is now being provided by state or charitable institutions.
In the United States, most of the large multi-facility providers are publicly owned and managed as for-profit businesses. There are exceptions; the largest operator in the US is the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, a not-for-profit organization that manages 6,531 beds in 22 states, according to a 1995 study by the American Health Care Association. Some United States companies like Senior Helpers, Home Instead Senior Care, Visiting Angels, All Valley Home Care, and Comfort Keepers, offer long-term, in-home care for seniors.
A distinction is generally made between medical and non-medical care, and the latter is much less likely to be covered by insurance or public funds. In the US, 86% of the one million or so residents in assisted living facilities pay for care out of their own funds. The rest get help from family and friends and from state agencies.
Elder abuse is also a major concern in this age group. There are several types of abuse of older people that are universally recognized as being elder abuse, including: physical, psychological, financial, sexual or neglect. An abuser can be a spouse, partner, a relative, a friend or neighbor, a volunteer worker, a paid worker or a practitioner (e.g. a social worker, bank worker or solicitor).
