Abstract
Both developing and major developed countries of theworld are facing the global aging of their citizenry.The United States and the People's Republic ofChina each share in this phenomenon. Therapid growth of their aging populations comes as bothcountries are experiencing a sustained period ofeconomic stability with an accompanying drop infertility rates (Coale & Watkins 1986; Dyson &Murphy 1985). Together with longer expected lifespans in both countries, these factors have caused ashift in the population structure which will result inincreasingly large portions of the population who willpotentially require assistance with ADL's and/or longterm care (Olson 1990; Kennedy, LaPlante & Kaye1997). The careful assessment and interpretation ofavailable data to define the actual extent of needshould be part of a process to help guide each countryas they prepare for the future.
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Arnsberger, P., Fox, P., Zhang, X. et al. Population aging and the need for long term care: A comparison of the United States and the People's Republic of China. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 15, 207–227 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006745324079
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006745324079