Small house nursing homes for frail elders in Asian countries?

Abstract

While the idea of small group home for elders with functional or cognitive impairments fits well in the family oriented Asian cultures, policy makers and stake holders in Asian countries have just started examining small group home as an alternative to traditional nursing home for frail elders. Using data from published records and interviews with stake holders, this paper examines the preparation and implementation of small group home for frail elders in six Asian countries and cities, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Singapore. We found that Asian countries and cities have different levels of readiness to adopt small group home as an option for elderly who need residential care, with Japan as the leader among all Asian countries. We will also discuss the potential impacts of the small group home movement in long term care in Asia.