Quality of care and long-term care administrators' education: does it make a difference?

BACKGROUND

Long-term care administrators (administrators) can influence the care nursing home residents receive. However, little research has examined what factors of administrators are associated with how they influence care.

PURPOSES

In this research, the association between administrators' education and quality of nursing home care is examined. In addition, the association between state educational and training requirements and quality of nursing home care is examined.

METHODOLOGY

Information collected from 3,941 administrators was matched with secondary data, including Nursing Home Compare; the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting data; and the Area Resource File. The quality indicators restraint use, catheter use, inadequate pain management, low-risk residents with pressure ulcers, and high-risk residents with pressure ulcers were examined.

FINDINGS

Positive, statistically significant associations were found between the education level of administrators and all five quality indicators. Likewise, positive statistically significant associations were found between state educational requirements and state training requirements and the five quality indicators.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

If these associations hold true, then promoting further educational attainment of individual administrators may influence quality of care. The state educational requirements and training requirements for administrators' licensure may represent an additional means of influencing the quality of care in nursing homes.