Long-term care and intermediary structures for frail older people: Switzerland and Germany in comparison

Long-term care not only includes residential care, home care and familial care, but services 'inbetween', such as day and night care, temporary (short-term) stays in nursing homes, respite care, and local infrastructure giving informed advice and conveying informal support. In both Switzerland and Germany, the role of such intermediary structures has been debated and affected by social policy reforms. The authors analyse different functions of intermediary structures, discuss their access and use, and show that intermediary structures can have a different impact on care regimes.