Aggregate data is held within ISD Scotland on the funding of places in nursing homes for each year from 1997 to 2002: For years ending 31 March 1999 to 31 March 2002, data are available, by means of funding (namely local authority, health board, DSS, self-financed, and other) on the following: numbers of residents at the beginning of the year, numbers of admissions (by type of resident: "long-term", "respite" and "other short-term"), numbers of discharges, numbers of deaths, numbers of residents at the end of the year (by type of resident: "long-term", "respite" and "short-term").For years ending 31 March 1997 and 1998, data are available on residents by main source of financial support (local authority, NHS, self-funding (self or relatives), DSS (preserved rights)), and by type of resident ("long-term", "respite" and "other short-term").In addition, for years ending March 2001 and March 2002 data are available on numbers of self-funding residents by gender, age, and by client group, namely: dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health problems, alcohol-related problems, drug-related problems, other health care needs.