Integrating care for the frail elderly

As their populations age, all OECD governments are confronted with increasing demand for health and social services. The inefficient (over)use of services by the frail elderly, who suffer from physical and functional disabilities, puts additional pressure on scarce public resources. Drawing from evidence on integrated models of care across OECD countries, this chapter examines the potential of these innovative service delivery methods to provide effective and cost-efficient care for frail elderly individuals. The chapter also discusses barriers and perverse incentives to effective implementation created by traditional service delivery structures. Whilst highlighting the need for better measurement and further evaluation of integrated care, findings illustrate the potential of integrated service delivery models to respond to the frail elderly’s complex needs, and offer some promising ways to promote integration at both the governance and delivery levels.