THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND MARKET AN INEXPENSIVE, BRIEF AND EASILY USABLE CLIENT TARGETING MANUAL FOR PROVIDERS OF LONG TERM CARE SERVICES, TO ENHANCE DECISION-MAKING CONCERNING SERVICE UTILIZATION OF THE FRAIL AGED.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND MARKET AN INEXPENSIVE, BRIEF AND EASILY USABLE CLIENT TARGETING MANUAL FOR PROVIDERS OF LONG TERM CARE SERVICES, TO ENHANCE DECISION-MAKING CONCERNING SERVICE UTILIZATION OF THE FRAIL AGED. THE MANUAL WOULD BE DEVELOPED BY BERKELEY PLANNING ASSOCIATES (BPA), BASED ON EMPIRICAL FINDINGS FROM ITS RECENT NATIONAL EVALUATION FOR HCFA OF 13 COMMUNITY-ORIENTED LONG TERM CARE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. THE MANUAL WOULD DISSEMINATE IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER, SELECTED RECENT DATA AND METHODS MADE AVAILABLE BY EVALUATION FINDINGS FOR TARGETING LONG TERM CARE SERVICES APPROPRIATELY TO THE POPULATION OF ELDERS "WHO BUT FOR" A SERVICE INTERVENTION WOULD LIKELY ENTER AN INSTITUTION. PROVIDING THESE STATE-OF-THE-ART FINDINGS ABOUT LONG TERM CARE CLIENT TARGETING WILL ENCOURAGE SAVINGS IN PUBLIC (ESPECIALLY MEDICAID) LONG TERM CARE DOLLARS BY HELPING SERVICE PROVIDERS TARGET AND ALLOCATE SERVICES TO THOSE WHO ARE TRULY AT RISK OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION. THE CLIENT TARGETING MANUAL WOULD SERVE A SECOND PURPOSE, DISSEMINATION OF RECENT RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION FINDINGS IN LONG TERM CARE. THE MANUAL WOULD ALSO INSTRUCT FRONT-LINE SERVICE DELIVERY PROVIDERS IN RECENT LONG TERM CARE CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, WITH THE AIM OF ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF APPROPRIATE NON-INSTITUTIONAL ALTERNATIVES FOR LONG TERM CARE.