Expanding home health services: evaluation of the federal grant program.

The federal Home Health Grant Program was initiated in 1976 and is intended to increase the provision of home health services by means of grants for the expansion of existing home health agencies and the development of new ones. The evaluation of the grant program is summarized in this article, emphasizing the visit increases generated by grantees and the factors associated with successful grantee performance. Although the grantees were generally successful in increasing visits, grantee performance varied considerably in terms of certain agency and locational characteristics. In particular, Visiting Nurse Association agencies demonstrated considerably better performance than other types of agencies.