Determinants of Successful Nursing Home Accreditation

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the factors associated with better accreditation outcomes among nursing homes. Method: A total of 538 nursing homes in Taiwan were included in this study. Measures included accreditation scores, external factors (household income, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, old-age dependency ratio, population density, and number of older adult households), organizational factors (hospital-based status, chain-affiliated status, occupancy rate, the number of registered nurses or nurse aides per bed, and bed size), and internal factors (accountability, deficiencies, person-centered care, nursing skills, quality control, and integrated care). Results: Bed size, hospital-based status, accountability, deficiencies, person-centered care, nursing skills, quality control, and integrated care were found to predict accreditation. Conclusion: Among all variables in this study, the quality indicators contributed to the most variation, followed by organizational factors. External environmental factors played a minor role in predicting accreditation. A focus on quality of care would benefit not only the residents of a nursing home but also facilitate its accreditation.