Purpose of the Study: To evaluate the impact of rural geographic location on nursing home quality of care in the United States. Design and Methods: The study used cross-sectional observational design. We obtained resident- and facility-level data from 12,507 residents in 1,174 nursing homes from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. We used…

Nonhome-based long-term care sustainable living arrangements for elderly people with Alzheimer's is presented. Characteristics contributing to sustainability are discussed. The ultimate goal in sustainable design for older adult communities is a people-centered model of care in environments that improve their quality of life. Without sustainable…

Purpose of the study: This study examines urban-rural differences in end-of-life (EOL) quality of care provided to nursing home (NH) residents. Data and Methods: We constructed 3 risk-adjusted EOL quality measures (QMs) for long-term decedent residents: in-hospital death, hospice referral before death, and presence of severe pain. We used…

Hospitalization of nursing home residents can be futile as well as costly, and now evidence indicates that treating nursing home residents in place produces better outcomes for some conditions. We examined facility organizational characteristics that previous research showed are associated with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and with…

Creative activities are a challenge for long-term care facilities. The Passport intervention uses web-based video technology to provide long-term care residents with a virtual travel experience. Passport broadcasts were conducted and staff and residents were interviewed about the experience. A thematic analysis of interviews was used to discern…

Purpose of the study: To examine the relationship between county-level Medicaid home- and community-based service (HCBS) waiver expenditures and the prevalence of low-care residents in Florida nursing homes (NHs). Design and Methods: The present study used a cross-sectional design. We combined two data sources: NH facility-level data (including…

Purpose of the Study: Two consumer-derived measures of nursing home quality that have been underutilized by researchers are consumer complaints to the state certification agency between inspections and complaints to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This article describes these complaints, considers facility-level predictors of complaints, and…

Service provision to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) older adults is a dynamic and sensitive area, requiring rigorous and extensive inquiry and action. Examining the readiness and assets of organizations serving GLBT older adults requires not only heart and sensitivity but also resources and a clear vision. The Community Readiness…

Research has highlighted the challenges social services professionals face in providing quality psychosocial care to persons living in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). A primary area of difficulty is addressing the needs of persons with mental health conditions, including problematic behaviors associated with dementia. This study evaluated the…

Medicaid policies that may affect long-term care decisions vary across states and time. Using data from the 1993, 1995, 1998, and 2000 waves of the Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Survey, we estimate a dynamic empirical model of health insurance coverage, long-term care arrangement, asset and gift behavior, and health transitions…

Purpose: The Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) is an interdisciplinary standardized process that informs care plan development in nursing homes. This standardized process has failed to consistently result in individualized care planning, which may suggest problems with content and planning integrity. We examined the…

Much research examines the professional nursing practices of traditional and modern caregivers, but it remains unclear whether the delivery of extra-required services is diminished as the caregiver moves from traditional to modern community. Building on the classical works of sociologists Ferdinand Tonnies, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim, this…

Purpose: This study's purpose was to advance the process of culture change within long-term care (LTC) and assisted living settings by using participatory action research (PAR) to promote residents' competence and nourish the culture change process with the active engagement and leadership of residents. Design and Methods: Seven unit-specific PAR…

The purpose of this study was to develop appropriate somatosensory video game interventions on enhancing selective attention of institutional-dwelling elderly with disabilities. Fifty-eight participants aged 65[approximately]92 were recruited and divided into four groups, 4-week and 8-week experimental and two control groups, for evaluating the…

Purpose: Few studies have addressed the effects of caregiver interventions on the costs of care for the care recipient. This study evaluated the effects of a caregiver education and support group delivered via the telephone on care recipient health care utilization and cost. Design and Methods: The Telehealth Education Program (TEP) is a…