Researchers find size, cost of assisted living facilities have little influence on residents' health
| July 08, 2005 | |
| CHAPEL HILL — The size and cost of assisted living facilities have little influence on health outcomes of residents, according to a report by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.The study, believed to be the largest outcome study of assisted living ever conducted, found that people in assisted living facilities fared the same, regardless of facility type.
A report on the findings appears in the July issue of the Journal of Gerontology. UNC authors are Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, a professor in the schools of Social Work and Public Health, and Dr. Philip Sloane, a professor in the School of Medicine’s department of family medicine. They co-direct UNC’s Program on Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care, based at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Dr. Kevin Eckert, a professor in UMBC’s department of sociology and anthropology, also was an author on the study. The National Academy for State Health Policy estimates that more than 1 million older adults currently reside in assisted living facilities, which are as diverse as small “mom and pop” homes, older board-and-care-type housing and upscale, apartment-style settings. “Widely publicized scandals have raised questions about the suitability of certain types of assisted living for frail older people,” Zimmerman said. “However, we found that people fare equally as well no matter how different the facilities are. “This is good news, because it means that consumers can choose a facility that suits their preference and lifestyle. It also suggests that state regulators shouldn’t rush to judgment when considering what components are necessary for good care.” Researchers interviewed more than 2,000 residents and staff members in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina, and studied their experiences for a year. They looked at health events, transfers to nursing homes, and changes in mental ability, behavior, function, mood and social involvement. “We studied many components of care, and overall, no one component related to ‘good’ care over the others,” Sloane said. “In fact, we found that even small home-type facilities provided care as good as, and in some cases better than, fancier facilities.” Unfortunately, regulations are making it hard for the smaller facilities to stay in business, so it would be helpful for regulators to take note, said Eckert. The researchers said some findings are particularly worthy of consumer and health-care provider consideration: Assisted living facilities affiliated with another level of care, such as a continuing care retirement community, were almost twice as likely to transfer residents into nursing home beds than facilities that were not affiliated with another level of care. The study also found that facilities employing nurses tend to hospitalize their residents less often. “While more nurses and other services seem to be a good thing, it is often the case that the more services that assisted living provides, the more expensive it becomes, making it less affordable to middle- and lower-income seniors,” Zimmerman said. “Fortunately, providers across the country are tackling this challenge by working to develop lower-cost, high-quality models of care.” Note: Contact Zimmerman at (919) 962-6417 or Sheryl_Zimmerman@unc.edu Sloane, at (919) 966-5818 or psloane@med.unc.edu and Eckert, at (410) 455-2960 or Eckert@umbc.edu School of Social Work contact: Krystie Grubb, (919) 962-6540 or kgrubb@email.unc.edu Sheps Center contact: Christine Shia, (919) 843-7661 or shia@mail.schsr.unc.edu For further information please contact Ramona DuBose by email at ramona_dubose@unc.edu |
