A longitudinal evaluation of nursing home care quality in Taiwan

Aging populations worldwide have important implications for elderly care composition and quality, particularly with regard to care provided by nursing homes. Our study investigated quality of nursing home care in Taiwan using resident satisfaction and clinical outcomes as indicators. We randomly recruited 306 residents in 13 nursing homes and assessed them at initial, 3, 6, and 12-months follow-up. The outcomes of the nursing home care in the 12-month follow-up period showed significant decreases in pressure sores and moderate satisfaction of nursing home care, but increases in physical restraints and psychological loneliness. Study results suggest that long-term nursing home care may improve residents' quality of life. However, to achieve this, nursing homes must provide improved psychological support for residents and decrease the use of physical restraints. Copyright © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.