MEASURING SATISFACTION WITH CARE IN THE NURSING-HOME SETTING - THE NURSING-HOME RESIDENT SATISFACTION SCALE

This pilot study describes the development and evaluation of a 10-item survey instrument designed to measure nursing home residents' satisfaction with the care they receive. The instrument, consisting of three domains with three items in each (evaluating physician services, nursing services, and environment) and a global satisfaction item, was administered to 168 residents at four nursing homes within a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia. The test-retest and interrater reliability of the instrument was evaluated at both the item and group levels. Results indicate that this instrument measures satisfaction reliably over time by different interviewers. Few significant correlations were found between the level of reported satisfaction and resident characteristics such as age, cognitive functioning, gender, or facility of residence.