Improved estimates of Belgian private health expenditure can give important lessons to other OECD countries.

OECD Health Data are a well-known source for detailed information about health expenditure. These data enable us to analyze health policy issues over time and in comparison with other countries. However, current official Belgian estimates of private expenditure (as published in the OECD Health Data) have proven not to be reliable.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (I-ADL) trigger an urgent request for nursing home admission.

Objective: Although disabled elderly people mostly prefer to receive care at home or in other community settings, many of them reside in nursing homes. That is why several researchers have tried to identify predictors of institutionalisation. Various different dependency factors seem to explain the request for residential care.