NURSING HOME RELOCATION STUDY COMPARING FORMER RESIDENTS OF TERMINATED FACILITIES WITH RESIDENTS OF MARGINAL FACILITIES.
Contributors: University of Maryland at Baltimore.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 265
Subjects: Social Work.
Description: Ecological theory provided the framework to this exploratory, qualitative study of residents of eight nursing facilities. Two research questions were pursued: (1) Does the environmental press of relocation from a substandard facility adversely affect the health status and psychosocial status of movers, compared to the health status and psychosocial status of residents of facilities determined to be providing marginal health care ("marginal facilities")? (2) Do different systematic mechanisms used by terminating facilities influence the environmental press of relocating, indicated by differences in health status and psychosocial status?.

Qualitative methods were used to gain an understanding of the experience of relocation and of living in a marginal facility; quantitative methods were used to support the qualitative aspects of the study.

Residents, facility staff, and ombudsman reported that residents prepared for relocation systematically and relocated as a group acclimated to receiving facilities more quickly. Also noted was the impact of inconsistent enforcement of nursing home standards, particularly concerning marginal facilities and terminated facilities. A significant difference was found in resident's self-reported satisfaction with relocation carried out in a systematic manner. Quantitative data suggested a partial support of ecological theory. That is, the environmental press of relocation was lessened for study subjects relocated in a systematic manner, indicated by higher mental status four and sixteen weeks after relocation. Ecological theory was also partially supported in the unexpected finding that non-movers had more illnesses at each time period than movers, leading to the suggestion that for the subjects in this study the environmental press of living in a marginal facility may have had a greater negative effect, indicated by number of illnesses, than the environmental press of transferring from a terminated facility.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-07, Section: A, page: 2246.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AT BALTIMORE, 1989.

School code: 0373.