ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the Social Health Maintenance Organization (SHMO) demonstrations first against the backdrop of these notions and then within the broader context of public policy issues affecting the seriously disabled elderly who are most in need of improved long-term care. The SHMO demonstrations are taking place and being evaluated is consistent with the Panel’s recommendations that greater priority be placed on supporting services-related and financing research that is at least potentially relevant to Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD). Research related to informal caregiving issues in Alzheimer’s disease has been supported by a number of federal agencies, including the National Institute on Aging, Administration on Aging, National Center for Nursing Research, Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and others. Numerous public policy questions concern the scope of services and organizational features that the overall care system should embody in order to meet the needs of ADRD patients and their families.
