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More than four in 10 US adults gave nursing homes poor or failing marks for overall care quality, and a majority said they’d be uncomfortable being sent to or having a family member admitted to a long-term care facility, according to a new survey.
Results from a West Health and Gallup poll released Tuesday highlighted concerns about nursing home care—a topic that’s received national attention after Covid-19 ravaged long-term care facilities. The findings come as the Biden administration looks to set the first national minimum nurse staffing standards for these facilities.
Just 1% of US adults surveyed gave nursing homes an “A” grade, or “excellent” rating, for overall care quality, while 8% gave a “B,” or “good” rating. By contrast, 36% of respondents gave nursing homes a “D” grade (poor), 33% gave a “C” grade (satisfactory), and 6% gave an “F” grade (fail). The remainder (14%) said they didn’t know how to grade nursing homes.
The ratings, Gallup noted in its report, averaged out to a “D+.”
Other findings
- Seven in 10 US adults surveyed said they are “somewhat” or “very” uncomfortable at the thought of living in a nursing home in the future. Meanwhile, 61% said they feel similarly at the thought of a relative being admitted to one.
- Respondents cited concerns about care quality as their top reason for that discomfort (70%), followed by cost (49%), mental and emotional health reasons (45%), and fear of losing independence (34%).
- Only about a quarter of adults surveyed (26%) said they see nursing homes as “safe” places for older adults, while 41% said they see them as “unsafe.”
- Respondents were more split on whether nursing homes are effective at keeping residents safe from things like infections or abuse: More than four in 10 (42%) said nursing homes are “not very” or “not at all” effective when it comes to protecting residents from preventable harms, while 44% said the facilities are “extremely,” “mostly” or “somewhat” effective in that area.
Methodology: Gallup conducted the poll online from July 5 to July 24 via a nationally representative panel with about 100,000 members.