No abstract

Overall, findings reveal changes in how newspapers framed NH coverage, not only with respect to tone but also with respect to what dimensions of this complex issue have been emphasized during the time period analyzed. Variation in media coverage may contribute to differences in government and public views toward the NH sector across regions and over time.

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Previous work found a substantial growth in therapy staffing among nursing home providers following the introduction of Medicare’s Prospective Payment System (PPS). Since the PPS, however, several new Medicare policies have been implemented that may impact the provision of rehabilitative care in nursing homes. In view of the rising focus on patient outcomes and provider performance, it is worthwhile to explore more recent therapy staffing patterns following the introduction of these Medicare programs. While our results show stable staffing levels through prior policy changes, upcoming Medicare payment changes will likely have a stronger impact that may result in reduced therapy staffing. In addition, given that our findings show that staffing patterns vary across provider type, we may see greater variation as a result of the upcoming changes. Thus, therapy staffing should continue to be monitored and deeper explorations into the impact of staffing changes on patient outcomes should be undertaken.

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The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze and describe the tone of media coverage of the nursing home sector and its relationship to other dimensions of the coverage reported. Through a search of the LexisNexis database, 16,280 articles were identified from 51 U.S. newspapers from 1999 to 2008. Articles were analyzed for tone, themes, prominence, central actor, and issue jurisdiction. Multinomial logit was used to examine the correlates of tone. Most articles were negative (36.9 percent) or neutral (45.5 percent) in tone; very few were positive (12.6 percent) or mixed (5.0 percent). Differences in tone were noted with regard to article placement and content. Findings highlight the preponderance of negative coverage and suggest that its adverse influence on public attitudes toward nursing homes may be enhanced by its prominence and focus on state/local concerns and industry interests/behavior. Future research should examine the relationship between media coverage and government agendas and outcomes related to nursing homes.

No abstract

male have only 3.5 and 2.5 years. The difference narrows with less disability status. Recovery rate varies from 10-16% and has an average of 13.6%. Turnover rate in LTC institution is about 30%. This provide another way of estimating life expectancy, other than age. It also provides an prox. estimation for institutional care cost. The significant difference between female and male RLE in severe and total dependent status imply further research topics. The level of disability status and its associated RLE provide cost estimation and eligibility options for middle and low-income countries where resources are limited to provide any public funded LTC.