Changes in the structure and function of the modern American family have created a need for alternative means of caring for the elderly who cannot be accommodated in the nuclear family. The “sick role” and the nursing home provide a socially acceptable means of caring for the elderly while removing them from the family setting. Using data from national morbidity surveys, it is demonstrated that a large proportion of the elderly already in nursing homes do not need this type of long-term health care. This is placing strains upon the total health care system.
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