Abstract:

The European Community (EC) represents a contemporary laboratory for comparative study of social policy formation & implementation, especially among its aging populations. Against this backdrop difficult issues relating to the medical & social costs of long-term care (LTC) policy choices are explored; comparative theories of social policy formation are outlined; factors that explain the attention paid to LTC in the U.S. are summarized; & questions about LTC policy in the EC that have broader implications are examined. Particular attention is paid to the balance of medical & social care, the role of housing policy, & the issue of public- & private-sector interaction in welfare states. A tentative agenda is advanced that advocates systematic exchange of LTC information among EC countries & between the EC & the U.S.