PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home

The new survey also shows that Americans give nursing homes dismally low marks for safety and overall quality of care, pointing to need for reforms.

West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home
2023-09-12
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 12, 2023 — More than 40% of Americans say nursing homes are unsafe and 7 in 10 say they would be uncomfortable ever having to be admitted to one even if they needed such care, while more than six in 10 (61%) feel similarly anxious about the prospect of admitting family members, according to the latest survey from West Health and Gallup.    

Safety was a particular area of perceived concern; 41% of respondents say nursing homes are not safe, 26% say they are, and about a third say they don’t know. Notably, the survey found that people over 35 were much more likely to view nursing homes as unsafe than their younger counterparts (44% versus 34%).

Concerns over quality (70%), cost (49%) and the possible negative impact on mental health (45%) were among the top reasons for the uneasiness, but fears of losing independence (34%), dying in a nursing home (28%) and threats to physical safety (27%) were also factors. When asked to grade the overall quality of care in nursing homes, Americans, on average, gave the facilities a barely passing grade of “D+.” Only 18% of U.S. adults said they would feel comfortable moving into a nursing home if it became necessary.

The survey findings come as the Biden Administration has proposed first-ever mandatory minimum staffing levels for nursing homes participating in Medicare or Medicaid. The U.S. is home to roughly 15,500 nursing homes that care for more than 1.2 million people according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and low staffing is widely considered a root cause of inadequate care in the facilities. 

Most states set some level of minimum staffing, but the new federal proposal goes further. Nursing homes would have to provide a minimum of 0.55 hours of care from a registered nurse per resident per day, as well as 2.45 hours of care from a nurse aid per resident per day. They would also be required to have a registered nurse on site at all times.

“Nursing homes serve a vital role in our society, but improvements are needed beyond staffing that will ensure quality and restore confidence in a system of care that most Americans have serious concerns about,” says Tim Lash, president of West Health, a family of nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations dedicated to improving aging and healthcare in America. “Meanwhile, home- and community-based services, which are often preferred choices for care, are struggling to meet demand due to worker shortages, low wages and poor provider reimbursement. Policymakers must also do more to support these programs that offer an alternative to institutional settings.”  

Overall, Americans polled in the West Health-Gallup survey gave the quality of care in nursing homes a “D+.” Only a third (33%) gave them a satisfactory grade of “C” and high marks were virtually non-existent, with only 1% saying they deserve an “A” and 8% saying they would give a “B.”

“Nursing homes are perceived poorly by most Americans, many of whom share trepidation about the prospect of ever needing one for themselves or a family member,” says Dan Witters, Gallup senior researcher. “This signals that these institutions do not have the benefit of the doubt. Nursing homes have a need to better demonstrate that they are safe places for older adults and provide a high quality of care.” 

About the Gallup-West Health Survey

The survey was conducted between July 5 and 24 of 2023, with data collected from 2,145 American adults ages 18 and older. The topic of the study, which was fielded by Gallup via the Gallup Panel, is Americans’ Perceptions of Nursing Homes in the U.S.

About West Health

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations including the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Learn more at westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home 2 West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

UTHealth Houston researcher to present abstract detailing new mouse model for brain arteriovenous malformations at NIH meeting

2023-09-12
An abstract unveiling a new mouse model for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) developed by UTHealth Houston researchers has been selected for a poster presentation at the second annual National Institutes of Health (NIH) Investigator Meeting for Interoception Research in November. Eunsu Park, PhD, assistant professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, will present the abstract at the meeting, hosted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, on Nov. ...

Combination of stressors key to testing perovskite solar cells

2023-09-12
Perovskite solar cells should be subjected to a combination of stress tests simultaneously to best predict how they will function outdoors, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Solar cells must endure a set of harsh conditions—often with variable combinations of changing stress factors—to judge their stability, but most researchers conduct these tests indoors with a few fixed stressing conditions. While these tests provide some necessary insight, understanding which stressor applied during indoor tests provided predictive correlations ...

Communicating stability, strong connections to stakeholders versus shareholders are priorities in Chinese financial reporting, Rotman research finds

2023-09-12
September 12, 2023 Toronto - It’s commonly accepted that U.S. and Chinese companies treat financial reporting and disclosure differently. New research not only confirms that but digs into the motivations behind the distinction, using surveys with more than 200 Chinese executives who hold reporting responsibility. An overriding interest in communicating long-term stability and inspiring confidence in the company’s prospects among a diverse range of stakeholders, and not primarily shareholders, as in the U.S., was a signature driver for the Chinese business leaders. “Acknowledging differences in approaches and incentives ...

Morris Animal Foundation funds 6 new studies to advance canine cancer research

2023-09-12
DENVER/Sept. 12, 2023 – Recent findings from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study confirm the enormous impact of hemangiosarcoma on golden retrievers. To address critical gaps in disease detection and treatment, Morris Animal Foundation announced it is funding six studies focused on this deadly form of canine cancer.  “We are committed to providing resources to the top research teams in the world that can advance our understanding of hemangiosarcoma," said Dr. Kathy Tietje, Chief Program Officer at Morris Animal Foundation. "These innovative research ...

ReMDO grants support commercialization of regenerative medicine therapies

2023-09-12
WINSTON-SALEM, NC, September 12, 2023 - When the RegenMed Development Organization (ReMDO) offered its grant opportunity related to regenerative medicine manufacturing and commercialization, the result exceeded expectations. The Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing grant call encouraged small, medium, and large companies to submit letters of interest with an accompanying white paper that addressed a gap in technical capabilities for one or more of the following topic areas: Cell and Biomaterial Manufacturing, Standards and Quality Control, Additive Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation. The grant opportunity will ...

Breast cancer recurrence may be triggered by chemotherapy injury to non-cancer cells

Breast cancer recurrence may be triggered by chemotherapy injury to non-cancer cells
2023-09-12
A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding non-cancer cells, which can then awakens dormant cancer cells and promotes cancer growth, according to a new study publishing September 12th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Ramya Ganesan of Emory University, US, and colleagues. The finding is important for understanding cancer recurrence and may point to important new targets to prevent it. Advances in cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, have dramatically reduced mortality for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. Nonetheless, up to 23% of breast cancer patients experience recurrence within the first five years. Treatment is meant to kill all cancer cells, ...

Disease-resistant rice and wheat plants may modulate disease susceptibility in their neighbors

Disease-resistant rice and wheat plants may modulate disease susceptibility in their neighbors
2023-09-12
Growing several plant varieties in the same field for disease resistance is a longstanding agricultural practice, but can have unpredictable results. A study publishing September 12th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Jean-Benoit Morel at Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Montpellier, France, and colleagues suggests that plant-to-plant interactions may confer disease immunity in both wheat and rice. Neighbor-Modulated Susceptibility (NMS) occurs when healthy, same-species ...

Umass Amherst research finds benefits, risks in state-mandated school-based BMI assessments

Umass Amherst research finds benefits, risks in state-mandated school-based BMI assessments
2023-09-12
A University of Massachusetts Amherst resource economist finds mandated in-school Body Mass Index (BMI) assessments adopted in varying forms by 24 states to combat childhood obesity have the potential to improve the health of some students while introducing body-image issues for others. The research is believed to be the first to assess these policies as a whole, rather than in single states or school districts. “In states that passed these laws, overweight and obese teens were more likely to correctly describe their bodies as such, compared to states ...

UNIST and University of Ulsan College of Medicine to introduce groundbreaking HST curriculum in Korea!

UNIST and University of Ulsan College of Medicine to introduce groundbreaking HST curriculum in Korea!
2023-09-12
In a significant collaboration, UNIST and the University of Ulsan College of Medicine (hereinafter ‘U of U College of Medicine’) have successfully developed a joint curriculum aimed at cultivating professionals with interdisciplinary expertise. This unique program seeks to bridge the gap between engineering and medicine, producing graduates who possess both medical knowledge and engineering understanding. The collaboration aims to contribute effectively to advancements in healthcare technology and innovation. The jointly developed curriculum consists of seven courses, including ‘Introductions to Medical Science AI‘ and ‘Brain and Cognitive ...

How the respiratory tract microbiome influences the severity of bacterial pneumonia

How the respiratory tract microbiome influences the severity of bacterial pneumonia
2023-09-12
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung alveoli caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, representing a clinical and economic burden and a global public health problem. The microbial ecosystem (or microbiome) of the human respiratory tract colonizes different niches. The respiratory tract microbiome is of interest to scientists as it contributes to human health by stimulating the immune system and protecting against infection by pathogens. Scientists ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

Aston University research: Parents should encourage structure and independence around food to support children’s healthy eating

Thunderstorms are a major driver of tree death in tropical forests

Danforth Plant Science Center adds two new faculty members

Robotic eyes mimic human vision for superfast response to extreme lighting

Racial inequities and access to COVID-19 treatment

Residential segregation and lung cancer risk in African American adults

Scientists wipe out aggressive brain cancer tumors by targeting cellular ‘motors’

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

SwRI, UTSA selected by NASA to test electrolyzer technology aboard parabolic flight

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Youngest in class at higher risk of mental health problems

American Heart Association announces new volunteer leaders for 2025-26

Gut microbiota analysis can help catch gestational diabetes

FAU’s Paulina DeVito awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Champions for change – Paid time off initiative just made clinical trials participation easier

Fentanyl detection through packaging

Prof. Eran Meshorer elected to EMBO for pioneering work in epigenetics

New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth

Creativity across disciplines

Consequences of low Antarctic sea ice

Hear here: How loudness and acoustic cues help us judge where a speaker is facing

A unique method of rare-earth recycling can strengthen the raw material independence of Europe and America

Epilepsy self-management program shows promise to control seizures, improve mood and quality of life

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

[Press-News.org] West Health-Gallup Poll: 70% of Americans uncomfortable with prospect of being admitted to nursing home
The new survey also shows that Americans give nursing homes dismally low marks for safety and overall quality of care, pointing to need for reforms.