The costs of what? Measuring services and quality of care
Social Policy and Society 6 3 397-409
Available online: 7 June 2007
Abstract
If we are to be able to reflect the cost implications of changes in the nature, quality and productivity of long-term care interventions in future projections, we need an approach to measurement that reflects the value and quality of care. This paper describes a theoretically based but pragmatic approach to identifying the welfare gain from government expenditure on social care and illustrates an application in projecting the costs of long-term care used in the Wanless review of future needs of social care for older people in England.
If we are to be able to reflect the cost implications of changes in the nature, quality and productivity of long-term care interventions in future projections, we need an approach to measurement that reflects the value and quality of care. This paper describes a theoretically based but pragmatic approach to identifying the welfare gain from government expenditure on social care and illustrates an application in projecting the costs of long-term care used in the Wanless review of future needs of social care for older people in England.