An analysis of the heterogeneity of U.S. nursing home patients

Inappropriate clinical care in nursing homes

Using secondary data, an analysis was done of the prevalence of inappropriate clinical care among 3,149 Virginia Medicaid nursing home residents. Six types of inappropriate care were examined: the underprovision of skilled nursing care, physical rehabilitation and routine medical care; and the overuse of psychotropic drugs, physical restraints and urinary catheterization. Thirty-two (32) percent of the residents received inappropriate care in at least one care area and 7% received inappropriate care in two or more areas. Residents who received the most inappropriate care were more dependent in their activities of daily living, uncommunicative, incontinent, likely to have had a stroke, and less disruptive. Residents who received the most inappropriate care are among the most vulnerable residents, and stronger regulation and outside advocacy may be needed to protect them from inappropriate care.

Analysing access to nursing home care

The aim of this study is to investigate access to nursing home care in selected regions of Australia, Canada and the United States, and to examine the common ways in which nursing homes are used. Firstly, a review of methodological considerations in measuring access to nursing home care is made. Secondly, patient turnover patterns are interpreted with a view to showing differences in nursing home use among the countries studied; aggregate turnover rates, length of stay and outcomes are compared. Thirdly, groups of patients who differ in demographic and morbidity characteristics and in their use of nursing homes are discussed. Finally a number of distributive implications of these results are raised and a framework is outlined for considering redistributive consequences of changes in the use of nursing homes. It is concluded that the rate of flow of patients through nursing homes is as important a determinant of access to nursing home care as the level of bed provision and that adoption of this dynamic view of access indicates considerable scope for redistributing use of resources within the nursing home systems of all three countries.