Some patients requiring long-term intermittent or continuous mechanical ventilation can be safely treated at home with less cost and greater patient and family satisfaction. This is supported by experience with restrictive or obstructive respiratiroy disease patients in a respirator home care program from 1973 through 1979; some were followed for over four years. Moreover, risk is low as judged by few medical complications and no deaths attributed to home care. When compared with their need for hospitalization in the preceding 12 months, patients in the home care program required fewer days in the hospital (restrictive, 88 percent; obstructive, 37 percent). Given proper organization and resources, home care can be a useful alternative to continued hospitalization for certain respirator-dependent patients.