Community Care

A policy and practice model in which health and social care services are provided to disabled and elderly people in their own homes or local communities rather than in residential institutions. Community care aims to promote independence, choice, and social inclusion, but can paradoxically increase social isolation if adequate social support and communication infrastructure are not provided — particularly for people with speech or language impairments who may lose the incidental social contact available in institutional settings. In the UK, community care policies have been driven by legislation and government initiatives since the 1990s, resulting in significant numbers of people with disabilities living independently but facing barriers to social participation.