For older patients, the risk of being placed in long-term care nursing homes varies significantly based on the quality of the skilled nursing facility where they received care, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
To analyze the role SNFs play in long-term care facility placements and how SNF quality levels affected a patient's chances of transitioning to these facilities, the researchers used Medicare and other sources that contained data on 500,000-plus people aged 65 and older.
Additionally, the researchers examined whether certain elements of skilled nursing were connected to an older adult's risk of being admitted to long-term care facilities. The research team analyzed whether the quality ratings of SNFs, which are publicly listed, helped determine these patients' long-term care placements.
The study found older adults in SNFs with higher quality ratings faced far lower risks for being placed in long-term care facilities.
The researchers said learning more about the processes in place at specific SNFs could explain care variations and help guide future efforts to improving care. "Further work on the SNF processes that explain this variation will contribute to the mandates of healthcare reform and guide efforts to help older adults return to the community after hospitalization," the authors concluded.