ABSTRACT
Eldercare is one of many kinds of care work that feminist economists have explored (Marianne Ferber and Julie Nelson 1993; Nancy Folbre 2001; Jane Jenson and Mariette Sineau 2001). It takes place both inside and outside the formal market, and many aspects are difficult to measure and quantify. Eldercare is embedded in the values of every culture and imbued with meanings that range from respect to denial, from reciprocity to anger, from family-based obligation to humanitarian privilege (Geoff Schneider and Jean Shackleford 2001: 80 – 1; Heying Jenny Zhan and Rhonda J. V. Montgomery 2003). Problems with the provision of eldercare in the United States are
growing. The supply of family care for the elderly is likely to decline. The overall quality of paid eldercare is low, and access to it is uneven (Susan Eaton 2000). Low-income elderly, who are predominantly women, cannot rely on family care and often end up in nursing homes where the quality of
care is woefully poor. The structure of the nursing home industry, in which firms are forced to engage in competitive cost cutting in order to cope with inadequate federal subsidies, deserves much of the blame for low-quality service. This paper explores and responds to these mounting problems with the
current system of eldercare. It looks for lessons from the countries of northwestern Europe, which provide better eldercare than the US. Even given the current institutional environment within the US, there is potential for improvement through state regulation and participation. Additionally, a number of well-organized volunteer efforts provide inspiration for more radical change in the US.
