ABSTRACT
Of all the problems associated with an aging population, health care demands top priority. The purpose of this volume is to bring some of the best social and behavioral research to bear on how the problem of health care for older persons must be defined so that meaningful solutions can be found. More specifically, it seeks to identify the main dimensions of the problem — asking how each is involved and how each is being investigated. Although the volume is edited and composed of papers written by a variety of experts, its overall focus is essentially systemic in nature. Just as any frail older person is most efficiently treated in a holistic manner, so we attempt in this volume to analyze, evaluate, and understand health care for all older people as a system.
