Does the Volume of Post-Acute Care Affect Quality of Life in Nursing Homes?

Although short-stay, post-acute nursing home stays are increasing, little is known about the impact of volume of post-acute care on quality of life (QOL) within nursing homes. We analyzed data from the 2010 Minnesota QOL and Consumer Satisfaction survey (N = 13,433 residents within 377 facilities) and federal Minimum Data Set to determine the influence of living in a facility with an above-average proportion of post-acute care residents on six domains of resident QOL. In bivariate analyses, an above-average proportion of Medicare-funded post-acute care had a significant negative influence on four domains (mood, environment, food, engagement) and overall facility QOL. However, when resident and facility covariates were added to the model, only the food domain remained significant. Although the challenges of caring for residents with a diverse set of treatment and caregiving goals may negatively affect overall facility QOL, negative impacts are moderated by individual resident and nursing home characteristics.