that more services will be shifted from inpatient organizations to home health care and that, as a result, more centralized policy changes are needed.
In their discussion of changes needed in home health care as a result of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and other legislation, Soundappan, Goodwin, Greengold and Siegler (1997) report that one of the consequences of the act is that physicians are going to more often be recommending home health care for their geriatric patients; the authors strongly recommend that stronger bonds be forged by home health care providers with physicians and others practicing geriatric medicine so as to make sure that they secure the future of home care for their older patients.
Some senior organizations tend to feel policy changes will be inadequate for handling the increased need for home health care, stating that the frail elderly will not be as well provided for by home health care as by institutional services (see: Pathfinders for Seniors, 1998)
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