May 9, 2008 - The first national survey to measure "culture change" within the U.S. nursing home industry finds positive signs that long-term care facilities are beginning to transform themselves from institutional settings into more homelike facilities where residents' needs and preferences come first.
Fund Report
February 22, 2008 - Despite their effectiveness, many nursing home consumer advocacy groups are "constantly operating on the edge of organizational failure," according to the authors of a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study.
In the Literature
February 15, 2008 - A Fund-supported study concludes that nursing home residents who have private rooms have better psychosocial and clinical outcomes than residents in shared rooms. And while construction costs are higher, the extra funds are likely to be recouped because of private rooms' greater market appeal.
In the Literature
February 13, 2008 - This Commonwealth Fund report discusses results of a 12-month evaluation of a resident-centered care initiative in one of the nation's largest nursing home chains.
Fund Report
November 6, 2007 - Better prevention and treatment of pneumonia and other common ambulatory conditions in nursing homes could reduce avoidable hospitalizations for residents while saving Medicare and other public programs money, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study in the journal Health Affairs.
In the Literature
November 6, 2007 - Nursing homes that empower their frontline workers to make decisions regarding patient care achieve better performance from certified nurse aides (CNAs), improved resident care, and other positive effects, say the authors of a Commonwealth Fund-supported study.
In the Literature
November 5, 2007 - When deciding on a nursing home for a family member, consumers often rely on information from ranking systems that are based solely on quantitative measures of questionable importance, say the authors of this Commonwealth Fund-supported article
In the Literature
September 11, 2007 - A new Commonwealth Fund-supported study shows that poorer quality of care in nursing homes is linked to racial segregation. Black residents are more likely than whites to live in poor-quality nursing homes marked by significant deficiencies on inspection reports, substantial staffing shortages, and financial vulnerability.
In the Literature
August 21, 2007 - In the first in-depth look at seniors' experiences with Medicare's prescription drug benefit, a new survey finds that the majority of seniors who lacked drug coverage in 2005--before the establishment of the benefit--obtained it in 2006. Even with Part D coverage, however, many seniors reported relatively high out-of-pocket spending in 2006.
In the Literature
August 16, 2007 - A new study finds that Green House nursing home residents experience better quality of life, with the same or better quality of care than those in traditional nursing homes.
In the Literature
August 2, 2007 - A new study looking at QIOs' work with nursing homes suggests that, based on measurable improvements in residents' quality of life, the QIO program is a sound investment of health care dollars.
In the Literature
July 12, 2007 - A new Commonwealth Fund-supported study by Harvard Medical School researchers finds that chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries who were previously uninsured used health services more intensively and required costlier care compared with their previously insured counterparts.
In the Literature
May 11, 2007 - A new study supported by The Commonwealth Fund reviews a proposed quality-based payment system for nursing home care in Minnesota.
In the Literature
February 27, 2007 - For many nursing home residents, being bathed by caregivers can be upsetting or confusing. This Fund-supported article evaluates the impact of a major national effort to educate nursing home staff about strategies for improving bathing routines in long-term care.
In the Literature
February 15, 2007 - In invited testimony before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, The Commonwealth Fund's Mary Jane Koren describes the challenges the health care system faces as society ages and makes recommendations for strengthening the system for America's seniors.
Testimony