Joanne Evans

International Handbook on the Economics of Energy

This Handbook offers a comprehensive review of the economics of energy, including contributions from a distinguished array of international specialists.

Why are some care homes better than others? An empirical study of the factors associated with quality of care for older people in residential homes in Surrey, England.

This paper reports an empirical study that investigated associations between the quality of care received by older people in residential settings and features of the care homes in which they live. Data were gathered from the first announced inspection reports (2002-2003) of all 258 care homes for older people in one county of England (Surrey). The number of inspected standards failed in each home was used as the main indicator of quality of care. Independent variables (for each home) were: size, type, specialist registration, on-site nursing, ownership, year registered, location, maximum fee, vacancies, resident dependency, whether the home took publicly funded residents, care staff qualifications and managerial quality. Quality of care was modelled using a Poisson count maximum likelihood method based on 245 (91%) of the inspected homes for which relevant data were available. The results showed that quality of care (as defined by failures on national standards) was statistically associated with features of care homes and their residents. A higher probability of failing a standard was significantly associated with being a home that: was a for-profit small business (adjusted risk ratio (RR) = 1.17); was registered before 2000 (adj. RR = 1.22), accommodated publicly funded residents (adj. RR = 1.12); was registered to provide nursing care (adj. RR = 1.12). Fewer failures were associated with homes that were corporate for-profit (adj. RR = 0.82); held a specialist registration (adj. RR = 0.91); charged higher maximum fees (adj. RR = 0.98 per 100 pound sterling unit). A secondary analysis revealed a stronger model: higher scores on managerial standards correlated with fewer failures on other standards (r = 0.65, P < 0.001). The results of this study may help inform future policy. They are discussed in the context of alternative approaches to measuring quality of residential care, and in terms of their generalisability.

The contribution of energy efficiency towards meeting CO2 targets

The Kyoto Protocol set an agenda for GHG emission reductions (relative to the 1990 emission levels) in participating countries between the years of 2008 and 2012. Despite emission reduction measures and strengthening political will internationally, global CO2 emissions reached their highest ever level in 20102 (IEA, 2010a), with an estimated 40 per cent of global emissions coming from OECD countries. Unsurprisingly non-OECD countries, led by China and India, saw much stronger increases in emissions as their economic growth accelerated. However, on a per capita basis, OECD countries collectively emitted 10 tonnes, compared with 5.8 tonnes for China, and 1.5 tonnes in India (IEA, 2010a). This emissions profile is informative as international discussions in Copenhagen (2009) and Cancun (2010) focused on countries contributing in line with ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ (Article 3 of the UNFCCC; United Nations, 1992) to 2020 economy-wide emissions reduction targets where developed countries should commit to emissions targets and countries party to Kyoto would strengthen their targets. Developing nations would ‘implement mitigation actions’ that are nationally appropriate to slow growth in emissions (UNFCCC, 2010). In 2011 in Durban, South Africa, the spirit of the negotiations changed and in conjunction with extending the life of the Kyoto Agreement by between five and eight years to at least 2017, the so-called Durban Platform deal (UNFCCC, 2011) commits the world to negotiating a new legally binding climate treaty by 2015 for implementation by 2020.

More on quality of care

In their systematic review of 82 (mostly US) studies, Comondore and colleagues conclude that on average not-for-profit nursing homes provided better quality of care than for-profit facilities.1 We recently analysed the factors associated with quality of care (measured as the number of failures of national standards at announced inspections) in residential homes (with …

MILITARY EXPENDITURE AND MIGRATION IN EUROPE

The enlargement of the EU has implications for the national defence requirements and therefore national defence policy of European nations. In light of the freedom of movement of citizens between member states it is appropriate to consider the implications of a countrys military expenditure for its macroeconomy and specifically on the flows of migration between member states. Traditionally, income differentials, employment levels and relative standards of living are all factors that influence an individuals decision to migrate. To this list we add the level of military expenditure. Migration from a panel of 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) to Germany between 1995 and 2002 is found to be the result of the level of military expenditure of the source country and the host country in conjunction with factors consistent with standard theoretical predictions.