Cost and care quality between licensed nursing homes under different types of ownership.

In Taiwan, there is some uncertainty and concern regarding the quality and safety of unlicensed nursing homes, as they are typically crowded and poorly equipped. There are data insufficient regarding the quality of care in licensed nursing homes for the government to reliably assist unlicensed facilities to become licensed. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the different nursing home ownership types and the following dependent variables: (1) operating cost per resident day, (2) RN to resident ratio, (3) facility size, (4) occupancy rate, and (5) quality of care amongst licensed nursing homes nationwide. The descriptive study used a survey design. Data were obtained from 28 licensed nursing homes using self-administered questionnaires, on-site interviews and record reviews. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman s correlation. A positive and significant relationship existed between nursing home quality and the RN ratio per resident day. Chain/For-profit and Chain/Non- profit nursing homes tended to have higher operating costs and a better quality of service. Secondary research is still needed to examine the results by detailed cost analysis or by research oriented toward outcomes of residents care. These findings provide basic reference for the government for planning the operation of nursing home facilities and also to assist the many unlicensed nursing homes to ultimately become licensed. The results also present important data for developing reimbursement policies.