September 12, 2023 Washington DC – Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, including nursing homes, responds to the findings of the West Health and Gallup survey on Americans’ opinions on nursing home care and quality, released today.
“Our goal is for every nursing home in the country to be a place where any of us would be comfortable living—or have a family member stay—if we needed the level of 24/7 care that they provide. Nursing homes should provide top-quality person-centered care, delivered by qualified staff, in a physical setting that reinforces the dignity and well-being of residents, so they can lead lives of purpose. And many nonprofit and mission-driven nursing homes like LeadingAge members around the country do just that. They are rooted in faith traditions that have long played a special and critical role in communities nationwide. They are values-driven organizations that have stood the test of time—sometimes for over 100 years as key pillars of our cities and towns.
Our research, gathered through an online survey of Americans ages 18 and over in July 2021, shows that more than two-thirds of people who have experience with aging services say it was positive, and they would recommend the services to others. In fact, the majority (68%) of people who have had direct experience with aging services say it was a positive experience, most often citing quality as the reason. Quality is also a factor in why Americans have a more favorable view of nonprofits (63%) than for-profits (47%): they believe quality at nonprofit providers is better than at for-profit providers.
Unfortunately, in the narrative of aging services in America—especially during the COVID pandemic—nursing homes have been portrayed as the villain by media and policymakers. So it’s no wonder that everyday Americans may be skeptical or fearful of nursing homes. We know that attitudes about nursing homes are shaped by fear of getting older and societal ageism that devalues older lives. This negative bias toward aging, combined with outdated funding models and under-investment in the nursing home infrastructure, has led to systemic, chronic undervaluing of nursing homes.
It’s time for that demonization to end because nursing homes are an important part of our healthcare system. We’ll always need residential care for people who cannot remain in their own home, for whatever reason. And as America’s population ages more of us—especially once we’re over age 85—will live with frailty, dementia or other chronic conditions that require more care than our families can provide. The need for a quality residential environment is growing ever more critical.
Our research also found 85% of Americans agree that it’s time to think about building a better aging services system for our seniors. And 86% say the government must make a bigger investment in services and care for seniors.
Let’s put an end to the demonization of nursing homes and fix America’s broken aging services system. The time to start is now.”
