Future directions for residential care

In looking to future directions in residential care, this paper considers a number of factors that make for stability and others that are likely to se e a continuation of present trends before turning to sources of new develop ment. While recent policy measures to integrate nursing homes and hostels h ave focused attention on higher levels of residential cave, the scope for c hange here is seen to be limited by funding and other constraints. Instead of a return to the continuum view of residential care, a redrawing of the p aradigm is proposed that builds on initiatives that promote more varied com binations of care and accommodation, more flexible funding arrangements, an d more interaction with community care across a range of housing settings. Support for this paradigm of diversification is found in current internatio nal developments.