Quality of Board and Care Homes Serving Low-Income Elderly: Structural and Public Policy Correlates

Abstract

From data on 205 board and care homes that serve the poor elderly in seven states, structural and process variables were used to construct seven indexes covering dimensions of quality that contribute to the safety and quality of life of residents. Systematic differences were found in the indexes among homes of differing size and staffing patterns, as well as between proprietary and nonprofit facilities. For several dimensions of quality, state funding appears to result in improved quality. Overall, governmental regulatory policies did not significantly effect board and care home quality.