Objectives: The aim was to investigate care consumption in CC, municipalities and informal care for people 65+, make comparisons between age groups, and with regard to housing and informal care.

Methods: The study design was cross-sectional. Data was drawn from elderly (n=1958) living in four municipalities in the southern part of Sweden and having municipal care. Data were collected regarding demography, functional abilities, and professional and informal care, and was linked to the CC administrative register including hospital care and outpatient care during year 2001.

Results: 49 % got care in special accommodation (SA). The oldest (85+) had more help in PADL from home service care than the youngest elderly (65-74) but less visits/month by nurses in home nursing care compared to the youngest elderly. Primary health care visits were more frequent among the oldest, and visit to psychiatry and specialist care was more frequent among the youngest elderly. The frequency of help in IADL from spouse was lower in the oldest group. More elderly in SA had contact with primary health care by physician, compared to elderly at home. Outpatient specialist care and hospital care were more frequent among elderly living at home in contrast to SA.

Conclusion: Elderly (65+) is not a homogenous group with regard to care consumption. The youngest elderly consumes more of specialised care while the oldest consumes more of primary health care. In the same way persons living at home has a higher consumption of specialised care than those living in SA. If those differences are due to marginalisation of the oldest old or due to characteristics addressed to SA remains to be explained.