Inpatient care of the elderly in Brazil and India: Assessing social inequalities

► Increasing numbers of individuals surviving to older ages in Brazil and India means that inpatient care is a growing issue. ► Receipt of inpatient time and length of stay are analysed for adults over 60 years in Brazil in 2003 and India in 2004. ► Both the receipt of care and the length of stay in hospital for elderly in Brazil do not show any inequality by wealth. ► In India the rich are more likely to be admitted to hospital than the poor, but there are no differences for length of stay. ► The higher educated and those with health insurance in both countries are most likely to obtain inpatient care.