Monday, August 07, 2006

 

Non-Profit, Non-Chain Nursing Homes Better Than For-Profit Variety

Proof yet again that in certain key fields of endeavor, the overriding goal should not be to turn a profit:

Not-for-profit nursing homes generally provide better care than those operated for profit, an analysis of state inspections for some 16,000 homes nationwide found. Also, independent nursing homes tend to provide better care than those managed by companies that run numerous nursing homes. Consumer Reports, which provides consumer tips, says that those conclusions are based on its evaluation of recent state inspection reports for the nursing homes. A grant from the Commonwealth Fund was used to compile a list of the facilities in each state that rank in the best or worst 10 percent on at least two indicators of quality. Researchers reviewed the three most recent inspection reports for each home. Only a fraction of nursing homes, regardless of whether they were a for-profit or non-profit, met Consumer Reports' standards for a quality nursing home. With for-profits, only about 2 percent were classified as likely to provide good care. The non-profits fared a little better at 7.3 percent.
A "little" better? How about nearly four times better? But I digress:
One reason the independently owned facilities might do better than those run by chain is that they tend to have more staff. The magazine found they also are more likely to use registered nurses.
I noted an interesting thing when Googling for this story after hearing it mentioned in passing on NPR yesterday afternoon: Whereas about half the news entities that reprinted it, in whole or in part, wrote headers that faithfully depicted what the main thrust of the story was about -- namely, the fact that non-profit independent nursing homes give better care than for-profit chains -- many of the headers seemed to want to bury the lede, concealing it with headers along the lines of "Bad Nursing Home Care Persists". Note, of course, that "Bad Nursing Home Care Persists" doesn't tell us who the perps are, whereas "Non-Profit Nursing Homes Rate Better" gives us a hint on what to look for in a good nursing home, and by implication tells us who the bad guys are.


Comments:
Hi Again Ms Phoenix,

"BOGUS" reports.

I am a Musician and I play almost everyday, NOW, for the Great Elderly population here in Los Angeles, Playing and Singing in Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, Board and Cares, Senior Centers, Ect, and Mostly in The San Fernando Valley. This Stint I have been doing for over 7 years.

I have Played in some Privately owned Nursing Homes, some are Frightening, and I'm being Polite.

Some of The Company Owned Nursing homes are FANTASTIC that I play in. Some of the Non-profit Nursing Homes? AGAIN Frightening.......


There's good and bad in everything.

MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
__________
The OJ Simpson Case
 
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