The quality of care provided in nursing homes for the elderly

Background. Aging population means that more investors began to see nursing homes as a potential source of income. On the market there are more and more such facilities, which often function as an economic activity and are managed by people without experience in this field. What conditions prevail in them? Objectives. Evaluation of the quality of care - understood as the fulfillment of needs, provided in nursing homes for elderly, in selected provinces. Material and methods. The study was conducted from September 2014 to March 2015, in 6 facilities for the elderly, located in different provinces. The study used an author's questionnaire evaluating various aspects of facility functioning - eg. living conditions, personnel qualifications, methods of patient activization and meals. Results. Almost all of the audited homes represent good living conditions and attractive location - 5 of 6. In half of the facilities errors were noted in the organization of space. In category of personnel qualifications only 2 institutions received more than half of possible points (13/23). 4 of 6 nursing homes received more than 80% (>= 11 pts.) for the mold and the organization of free time. The total number of points accumulated by individual houses varied widely, from 31% to 76% of all possible points (203). The more points the higher the level of quality of care. Conclusions. 1. Standard of nursing home in Poland is very diverse. 2. It is necessary to continue research to determine the general condition and create guidelines for facilities. 3. High standard of care for the elderly can be evaluated based on the fulfillment of their needs.