Long Term Care

Nursing Home Consumer, Workforce Satisfaction Reaches New Highs

Nursing home consumer satisfaction has reached its highest level since 2005, while workforce satisfaction is at its highest level since 2006, according to a new report.

The 2008 National Survey of Consumer and Workforce Satisfaction in Nursing Homes released by independent research firm My InnerView shows a majority (85 percent) of consumers report their satisfaction as either “excellent” or “good.” Sixty-six percent of employees recommend their facility as a place to work as either “excellent” or “good.” These satisfaction levels are at their highest levels since My InnerView began conducting research on these trends in 2005 and have increased by three percentage points since 2007. Yet, the report shows that the workers most directly involved in patient care are the least satisfied employees.

Although satisfaction levels are high, the report states that job stress is a significant opportunity for leaders to address in order to improve nurse and nursing assistants’ satisfaction, while meeting resident choices and preferences is one of the top priority items for improving resident and family satisfaction. Other highlights of the report include data that support the view of aligning financial incentives with organizational performance.

The survey also found that workforce satisfaction increased in every job category between 2007 and 2008. Satisfaction among nurses and nursing assistants remains lower than the satisfaction of employees in other job categories; however, both types of workers have become more satisfied with their facilities since 2006.

Increases in survey participation have driven the size of the report’s database to an all time high. Every year since 2005, the number of nursing homes participating in the voluntary surveys has increased — reaching one in every three facilities in the United States as of 2008. According to the report, responses from 223,449 employees, 54,711 residents and 146,949 family members in 5,075 nursing facilities across the United States are included in the study.

“This is the largest database ever collected about the levels of satisfaction among residents, families and employees in America’s nursing homes,” said Neil Gulsvig, president, My InnerView. “This report is useful to consumers, providers and policymakers because it establishes important benchmarks about consumer and workforce satisfaction in the nation’s nursing homes and increases transparency overall. The data allows nursing home leaders and public policy makers to more precisely target quality issues and workforce retention efforts.”

Source: My InnerView, May 27, 2009

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