Long-term Care

Research Findings

Research Activities, October 2012:
Alcohol may be misused by residents in assisted living places

Research Activities, September 2012:
Conventional and atypical antipsychotic drugs show differing safety risks among older nursing home residents

Research Activities, August 2012:
Discharge to skilled nursing facilities after a heart attack or heart failure explains little of variation in hospital readmissions
Bowel incontinence and other clinical factors predict the development of pressure ulcers
Introduction of hospice services by nursing homes does not significantly affect nursing assistant staffing

Research Activities, July 2012:
Many surgeons do not discuss advance directives with their patients before surgery

Research Activities, May 2012:
Extended use of medications to prevent blood clots may benefit patients after major orthopedic surgery

Research Activities, April 2012:
Elders and families find it difficult to interpret data from passive sensors that help monitor elderly activity
Lower flu vaccination rates for black nursing home residents a cause for concern

Research Activities, March 2012:
Preventing pressure ulcers in the home requires creative solutions by nurses
Medicaid nursing home reimbursement affects nursing homes' approach to end-of-life care

Research Activities, February 2012:
Study finds potentially suboptimal use of antidepressants for residents in Veterans Affairs nursing homes

Research Activities, January 2012:
State regulation of care quality is costly to nursing homes
Clinical informatics monitoring tool helps reduce adverse drug events in nursing home settings

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Research Activities, December 2011:
Human factors challenges in home health care
Three Publications Highlight Human Factors Research
Financial performance has modest effect on nursing home quality improvement
Evidence lacking on transition-of-care programs for heart attack and stroke patients after hospital discharge

Research Activities, September 2011:
Diagnosing and treating depression gets better in nursing homes but some disparities remain

Research Activities, August 2011:
High performance on quality measures linked to financial benefits for nursing homes

Research Activities, July 2011:
Certain factors linked to risk of early death of intensive care patients after discharge

Research Activities, June 2011:
Nursing homes more often voluntarily terminate from Medicare and Medicaid programs in States with strong quality regulations

Research Activities, March 2011:
Anemia is common among nursing home residents and affects their physical functioning
More nursing home residents are receiving hospice care

Research Activities, February 2011:
Nurse-facilitated guided care for elders and their caregivers leads to improved perceptions of quality of care
Use of physician extenders associated with increase in antidepressant prescribing in nursing homes

Research Activities, January 2011:
Public reporting on quality of care has definite, if modest, effects on nursing home care improvement
Public report cards prompt nursing homes to spend more on clinical services
Review looks at approaches to improve drug prescribing in nursing homes

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Research Activities, December 2010:
Patients with inherited cancer syndrome need help with decisions and long-term support from their surgeons

Research Activities, November 2010:
Stroke recurrence rates vary by U.S. region

Research Activities, September 2010:
Use of physical restraint in nursing homes cut by half in 8 years

Research Activities, June 2010:
Nursing homes using more agency staff have lower quality of care
Nursing home physicians and nurses struggle with communication barriers

Research Activities, May 2010:
Opioid-naïve nursing home residents are commonly prescribed long-acting opioids, a potentially dangerous practice

Research Activities, April 2010:
Making nursing home quality reports public leads to improved posthospitalization care
A guided care approach helps curb health care costs of elderly patients with chronic conditions
Caregiver dissatisfaction affects outpatient care for the elderly with dementia
Nursing home users of information technology start to see its benefits

Research Activities, March 2010:
Octogenarians fare well after aortic valve replacements
Nursing home studies focus on the costs of staff turnover rates and selective admission of patients

Research Activities, February 2010:
Medicare reimbursement changes lessen regional disparities for home health services

Research Activities, January 2010:
Medicare payment caps on home care add to the family caregiving burden, especially among lower-income families
Antibiotic resistance is prevalent and varied in long-term-care facilities
Computerized decisionmaking systems improve physician prescribing for long-term-care residents

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Research Activities, December 2009:
More antipsychotic medications are being prescribed for youth and nursing home residents, despite lack of evidence
Long-term use of beta blockers is associated with reduced mortality in patients with heart failure

Research Activities, November 2009:
Use of restorative care improves nursing home resident functioning and nursing assistants' job satisfaction

Research Activities, October 2009:
Algorithm now available to prevent recurrent bone fractures in nursing home residents
Several approaches can help motivate cognitively impaired nursing home residents to participate in restorative care
Risk factors for harboring multiple strains of E. coli are elusive

Research Activities, September 2009:
States vary greatly in nursing home admissions for people with mental illnesses

Research Activities, August 2009:
Making medication administration a dedicated activity free of interruptions could improve long-term care drug safety
Public reporting of nursing home care improves care delivery

Research Activities, July 2009:
Dramatic changes in family structure have altered the care of disabled elderly parents
Electronic medication administration records improve communication and decisionmaking in nursing homes

Research Activities, April 2009:
Nursing home residents with cognitive impairment are able to participate in a motivational intervention
Adequate staffing helps ensure patients in nursing homes receive proper treatment for pneumonia

Research Activities, March 2009:
Staffing level mix affects quality of care in nursing homes
Use of physical restraints in nursing homes creates substantial adverse consequences for residents
Available resources, not competition, drive nursing homes to advertise

Research Activities, February 2009:
Adding more staff may be a necessary, but insufficient, way to improve nursing home quality
The Web-based Nursing Home Compare report card improves nursing home quality, but not across the board

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