There have been a number of studies over the years that seek to
determine which type of nursing homes tend to provide a higher
level of quality care. In most of these studies, researchers find
that, when compared to commercial homes, nonprofits as a group
provide better care for their patients. There are a number of
possible reasons for this disparity, and one of them has to do with
the happiness of the nursing home staffers.
In a
New York Times blog posted this week, contributor Paula Span
discusses a recent study published in
The Gerontologist. According to this study, registered nurses
working for nonprofit nursing homes displayed a significantly
higher level of job satisfaction than their counterparts at
commercial homes. The research team surveyed approximately 900
registered nurses from nearly 300 New Jersey facilities. Among the
factors contributing to the observed higher level of satisfaction
at nonprofits: supportive managers, adequate resources, and the
ability for nurses to assist in setting policy.
What does this mean for people searching for the right nursing
home? As Span notes, this study does not provide a definitive guide
to picking a home; not all nonprofit nursing homes are inherently
superior to commercial homes, and finding a quality facility should
always include doing thorough research of all available options.
That said, this study is another piece of growing evidence that, if
nonprofit nursing homes are available in your area, they may be a
good place to begin the search.
Charlie Nadler
Marketing & Communications
Chicago Skilled Nursing
Chicago Senior
Living