Attitudes toward long-term care contain a strong residue of negativity in today's society and current problems with the system augment such perceptions. Unless dealt with now, this will only get worse, as the 85-and-older crowd is the fastest growing part of the population, and the first wave of Baby Boomers is approaching 60. Exploring and delineating the issues from every angle, the Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy addresses key areas such as history, trends, and outlook for this growing concern.

The first part of the handbook provides the context for the rest...