Public nursing homes provide better care

Nonprofit nursing homes provide better care and more nursing care than investor-owned homes, according to a survey of over 13,500 homes nationwide. According to the study, published in The American Journal of Public Health (vol. 91, no. 9), private facilities averaged 5.89 deficiencies per home, 46.5% higher than nonprofit homes and 43% higher than public homes.

In addition, the study found that:

•Â Numbers of licensed nursing hours per patient day at private facilities were 31.7% lower than at nonprofit facilities, and 22% lower than at public homes.

•Â Nursing aide hours at private homes were 11.9% less than at nonprofit facilities and 16% less than at public homes.

•Â Rates of severe deficiencies at investor-owned facilities were 40.5% higher than at nonprofit homes and 35.8% higher than at public homes.

Said the authors, "Our results suggest that investor-owned nursing homes deliver lower-quality care than do nonprofit or public facilities. Moreover, investor-owned facilities usually are part of a chain, and chain ownership per se is associated with a further decrement in quality."

The authors concluded: "The most obvious explanation for our findings is that profit-seeking diverts funds and focus from clinical care." PR