Considerations in Mapping the Adequacy and Sustainability of Care and Support for the Elderly in Developed Countries

All developed countries have an array of programs, involving government funding, that are designed to provide care and support for the elderly, programs such as social security, health care, long term care. Some countries programs are more extensive than others. Often the full range of required services is not provided by government programs but individuals and their families are expected to provide some of the care and support.Occasionally the level of care and support provided is income-tested or means-tested.

This research considers how to measure the adequacy of such programs and how to assess the sustainability of these programs.  The focus of this presentation concerns the methodology developed to evaluate adequacy and sustainability. This research differs from other research regarding adequacy and sustainability in that it considers retirement income, health care, and long-term care together, instead of evaluating those sources of protection individually and in isolation. The research examines two model family compositions in two different states. It uses fuzzy-set methodology to assess the extent to which the programs are adequate and sustainable.

Doug Andrews has been applying the methodology to developed countries and has results for ten countries, illustrating a wide range of outcomes, and producing some policy recommendations.

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