Long term care models for elderly in central capitalist countries

Abstract

The increase in longevity and population aging are part of a major achievement in contemporary societies, despite the contradictions, especially the absence and / or deficit of conditions necessary for dignified care that age requires. From this perspective, the study analyzes the principles and the performance of the social liberal, social democratic and conservative social security models in the provision of care to the elderly, principally the long-term care in central capitalist countries. The study is qualitative and results from the combination of bibliographic, documental and field research. The conceptual structure elaborated by Gosta Esping-Andersen (1990) was used for the classification of the models of social welfare. It was possible to identify how the performance in the provision of short- and long-term care varies significantly according to the social welfare models and that long-term services have been suffering with the neoliberal offensives of commodification, underfunding, de-funding and dismantling of the social welfare system.