ABSTRACT
As noted in Chapter 4, globally not only are there are marked variations in the balance of resources invested in care for frail older people, but these variations determine who cares and the locus of that care. Tucker et al. (2008) suggest, however, that with regard to many western societies, we have begun to see evidence of a convergence in care policies manifest in a greater concern for supporting older people to remain within the home. The rationale for this shift, they maintain, is not only a belief that home is the preferred site of care, but that it is also more cost effective. So while this chapter focuses largely on how older people and their informal care-givers experience ageing in place in the UK, the shift toward convergence means that many of the issues raised in the chapter will be of relevance to other western societies.
