This book investigates the impact of administrative decentralization on the delivery and efficacy of aging-related social services. The authors, Francis G. Caro and Robert Morris, utilize their extensive backgrounds in gerontology and social policy to examine how the shift of authority from federal to state and local governments affects the elderly population. They present a framework for evaluating whether devolution improves service accessibility or creates systemic inequities in the provision of care.

Experts in public administration and gerontology recognize this work as a critical examination of the structural challenges inherent in decentralized welfare states. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for understanding the complexities of aging policy in the United States.