Addressing the needs of the cognitively impaired elderly from a family policy perspective.

Management of the cognitively impaired elderly person in the community is presumed to be cost-efficient and the American way. Although this is what should be done, most would agree that paying for the services that make it possible to do so is not currently within the means of the median income of the family ($25,986) or of the female head of household ($15,350) in this country. This paper reviews the changes in the family, current family policies, and practices of our businesses and government and proposes the services that could be used to support both the impaired person and the family in the management of this evolving societal issue. Strategies for development of payment mechanisms for the proposed services are presented.