Counting the costs of community care: a practical introduction to the economic costing of community services for people with a mental handicap

Abstract

The expansion of community residential facilities for people with a mental handicap requires a significant amount of investment of society’s scarce resources. If the resources are to be used efficiently it is essential that an evaluation of the relative costs and effects of alternative methods of service delivery is undertaken. The paper describes a method of estimating the economic or resource costs of proposed developments in community provision which can be used as a basis for a broader evaluation of their efficiency. It should provide practical guidance to the professional members of planning teams and to other managers and administrators more generally concerned with quality assurance.mental handicap, community services