Differences in the scalability of formal and informal in-home care of urban elderly

Differences in the scalability of formal and informal in-home care to elderly are examined. A Guttman scale showed that exclusive use of informal in-home care was hierarchically scalable, but not when services were provided by any formal sources. There was some clustering of formal services, for example, a large number of those who received meals also used homemaker services. However, a large number of those who received nursing did not receive personal care. There was no overall pattern to the use of formal services. Implications of these findings as related to service planning and delivery are discussed.