ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the social institution of eldercare, which has also been radically changed by technology and medical progress. Increasing life expectancy also has potentially profound social implications. The chapter focuses on another set of decisions that most families must eventually make. These have to do with the placement of aging parents and grandparents. While improvements in living standards and modern medicine have increased life expectancy at older ages, that increase includes both disability-free years and years during which one can be seriously impaired. The chapter presents options in living arrangements that illustrate how dramatically things have changed. A high-quality relationship between generations is crucial for making decisions that are in the best interest of all family members. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease create complex problems that have a profound impact on the quality of life of patients and their families. Long-term care insurance is a relatively new insurance product and most people are unaware of how it works.
