Pilot Study of Assisted Living Facilities in Florida

该项目的具体目标是试点测试数据收集工具，该工具将能够根据辅助生活设施的关键特征（规模、公立/私立入学率、农村/城市位置、所有权类型）调查居民收入、种族/民族、性别和其他个人特征（包括身体和认知状况）的变化。先前的研究表明，至少对一些体弱的老年人来说，ALF安置可能是疗养院入住的适当替代。为了控制对体弱多病老年人的长期护理费用，联邦政府和州政府实施了政策，通过向安置在体弱多病老年人提供公共补贴，扩大了低收入体弱多病老年人获得老年护理的机会。最近一项由卫生与公众服务部赞助的全国辅助生活设施研究（NSALF）仅收集了大型（11名或更多居民）设施的数据。这些机构的服务对象主要是富裕的白人女性居民，她们自己支付医疗费。然而，试点研究的调查人员对佛罗里达州养老基金管理数据的初步分析表明，公共资助的养老基金居民入学主要集中在小型（少于10名居民）设施。因此，高质量的经验数据，允许跨类型的alf和居民的比较是重要的。由于研究表明，养老基金的安置适合于一些有入住养老院风险的体弱老年人，并且由于公共部门在养老基金部门的长期护理资金正在增加，因此需要调查不同类型的养老基金对服务不同弱势群体的体弱老年人的影响。这项试验将为更大的研究收集数据奠定基础，这一研究将为调查ALF类型及其所服务的人口之间的差异提供经验基础。佛罗里达州老年人口的规模和多样性及其ALF部门，以及佛罗里达州公共政策在资助ALF入学方面发挥的重要作用，使佛罗里达州成为研究与公共政策之间相互作用的试点研究的合适地点。

The specific aim of the project is to pilot test data collection instrument that will enable investigation pf variations in residents' income, race/ethnicity, gender and other individual characteristics (including physical and cognitive status) in assisted living facilities by key characteristics of the facility (size, public/private admission rates, rural/urban location, ownership type). Prior research indicates that ALF placement may be an appropriate substitute for nursing home admission,, for at least some frail elderly people. In efforts to contain the costs of long-term care to the frail elder population, the federal government and state governments have implemented policies that have expanded access to ALFs for low-income frail elders though public subsidies for placement in ALFs. A recent national study, the HHS sponsored National Study of Assisted Living Facilities (NSALF), gathered data only for large (11 or more residents) facilities. These facilities served predominantly affluent, white, women residents who paid privately for their own care. Yet the pilot study investigators preliminary analysis of Florida ALF administrative data indicates that publicly-funded ALF resident admissions are concentrated mainly in small (fewer than 10 residents) facilities. Consequently, high quality empirical data that permits comparison across types of ALFs and residents is important. Because research shows that ALFs placements are appropriate for some frail elders at risk of nursing home admission, and because the public sector funds for long-term care are increasing in the ALF sector, the implications for serving different vulnerable sub-groups of the frail elder populations in different types of ALFs need to be investigated. The pilot will provide the foundation for data collection in a larger study which will provide the empirical basis for investigation of differences among ALF types and the populations they serve. The size and diversity of Florida's elder population and its ALF sector and the significant role that Florida public policy plays in subsidizing ALF admissions make Florida an appropriate site for this pilot study of the interaction between research and public policy.