The
2004 National Nursing Home Survey conducted by the National Center for
Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin
in August 2004, to collect information on this important segment of health
care in America. The latest in a series of nursing home studies, the 2004
survey will include a first-ever, nationwide survey of nursing assistants,
the group which provides the majority of direct care to the nation’s 1.6
million nursing home residents.
As
in previous surveys conducted periodically since 1973 and most recently in
1999, the 2004 survey will obtain data on nursing homes, their residents,
and staff. The survey obtains information from a nationally representative
sample of nursing homes based on interviews with the administrators and
staff. The survey collects data on the facilities including bed size,
ownership, number of residents, certification status, services provided,
and basic charges. For residents, data are obtained on demographic
characteristics, functional and health status, diagnoses, services
received, and source of payment.
2004 Survey Expanded and Improved The upcoming survey has been redesigned and expanded to better meet
the data needs of researchers and health care planners working to ensure
that quality long-term care will be available for the nation’s growing
senior population. The survey will utilize computer-assisted personal
interviewing. This computerized system speeds the flow of data making it
possible to release information on a timelier basis and makes it easier
for respondents to participate in the survey. Another change is an
increase in the current resident sample size, allowing more detailed and
better information to be collected about this population.
The
survey has been expanded to include new and critical topics, such as:
Medications
and adverse experiences with medications
Medical,
mental health and dental services provided residents
End of life care and advance directives
Education,
specialty credentials, and length of service for key staff
Turnover
and stability of nursing staff; use of temporary/agency staff; overtime
shifts worked, and benefits
Facility
practices for immunizations, dining, and use of mechanical lifting devices
Nursing Assistant Supplement Added
The Nursing Assistant Supplement to the National Nursing Home Survey will
provide information needed to recruit, retain and develop this essential
paraprofessional long-term care workforce. The survey is designed to
determine the likelihood that workers will continue in their present
positions and the factors which affect those decisions, including job
satisfaction, environment, training, advancement opportunities, benefits,
working conditions, and personal or family demands. This first national
survey of nursing assistants will be conducted as a separate telephone
interview with a sample of workers who provide nursing home residents
assistance with Activities of Daily Living (eating, transferring,
toileting, dressing and bathing).
More Information
For more information about the National Nursing Home Survey, check the web
site at the National
Nursing Home Survey (NNHS).
Reports and data from previous surveys are also available in publications
and public use data files on the web. Findings from the surveys are
analyzed and disseminated widely in a series of articles and electronic
data products. To sign up for the Long-term Care listserv, to learn more
about the survey, and to receive announcements when data are released, go
to the NNHS website or leave a message at 301-458-4747.
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES