Harkness Project Title: Policy Strategies to Improve Use of Long-Term Care Services
Placement: Harvard Medical School
Mentors: Richard G. Frank, Ph.D., Margaret T. Morris Professor of Health Economics, Harvard Medical School
Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: Peter Alders, Ph.D., M.Sc., a 2012-13 Dutch Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, is the acting head of the Department of Social Support Act for the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport. His work there has largely focused on reforms of the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act and the Social Support Act. Since 2000, Alders has worked as a policy advisor for various ministry offices in the Netherlands, including the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (2000-07), the Ministry of Finance (2007-09), and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (2009-11). He has published two peer-reviewed journal articles, including in Journal of Public Economics. Alders received his Ph.D. in economics from the Tinbergen Institute at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and holds a master’s degree in management engineering, from the University of Twente and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Amsterdam.
Current Project Abstract: Alders will explore policy options in the U.S. and Netherlands to rebalance long-term care services away from more intensive and expensive institutional services. Specifically, his research will examine why people with similar disabilities use different levels of care – including differences in socioeconomic status, (informal) support system, urbanicity, and community supports – and policy options to prevent or delay institutional care. His methods will include a comprehensive literature review, followed by interviews with academics and visits to nursing homes and home care organizations. He will also conduct cross-sectional analysis of available datasets (e.g., U.S. National Health and Aging Study; Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam) to explore the key factors in determining institutional long-term care utilization.
Career Activity Since Fellowship:
- Project Manager of Aging in Place, Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport
- Researcher in Long-Term Care, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Current Positions: (updated 04/2017)
- Project Manager of Aging in Place, Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport
- Researcher in Long-Term Care, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Email: [email protected]
Selected Publications:
Alders, P., Costa-Font, J., de Klerk, M. and Frank, R. "What is the impact of policy differences on nursing home utilization?: the cases of Germany and the Netherlands," Health Policy. 2015.
Alders, P. “Improving care for older adults with chronic illnesses and functional impairments: a broader perspective,” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2015.