Resident satisfaction indicators in long term care settings in the United States: A scoping review

Due to an increasingly aging population and long-term care available, the number of older adults seeking long-term care facilities is growing. Resident satisfaction indicators have become important measurements of service quality. However, few scoping reviews have investigated the evidence on prevalent resident satisfaction indicators and associated factors. The aim of the study is to summarize the evidence on the types of resident satisfaction indicators utilized in long term care settings in the United States. We searched the PubMed, PsycInfo, AgeLine, MEDLINE, Web of Science for articles that published on resident care satisfaction indicators in long-term care facilities. A total of thirty-three articles provided evidence about the determinants of resident satisfaction in different long-term care settings. The analysis yielded two groups of indicators of resident care satisfaction: multi-factor indicators spanning room, staff, food, care services, activities, laundry, autonomy, finances, overall rating, and those related to single factors of resident satisfaction, including facility factor, resident factors, service program factor, food service factor, and staff factor. Most nursing homes used multi-factor indicators for the benefit of comprehensiveness. Single factor indicators tend to be used in assisted living and other residential aged care communities for getting a clear picture of what specific changes need to be made in certain service area. Combinations of multiple factors and single factor can obtain both a comprehensive satisfaction and detailed information to guide change.

Study design

A cross sectional survey design

The results indicate that satisfaction with staff care has a moderate and positive effect on all other aspects of resident satisfaction. The relationships among satisfaction components are different for nursing home and hostel residents.