What do consumers and healthcare providers in West Virginia think of long-term care?
In recent years, the media has portrayed long-term care in a negative light, with exposè news stories on skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes, and hospitals that provide long-term care. There have been few positive news stories to counter the negative ones, and there is concern that the public perception of long-term care is inaccurate. The authors conducted the following study to evaluate how the West Virginia consumer perceives and defines long-term care and if there is a difference in that perception as compared with healthcare workers' perceptions and definitions of long-term care. The results of the study indicate that the respondents' education level, not occupation, has the most significant influence on respondents' definitions and perceptions of long-term care. Respondents felt that although media articles are informative, they are not accurate, and that long-term care is a needed service they would consider both for themselves and for a loved one. The results of the study suggest that current marketing strategies employed by nursing homes are working, as respondents largely believe that long-term care is provided in nursing homes and that they would likely seek care there if needed.
Chandra
Ashish
A
Graduate Health Care Administration Program at Marshall University in South Charleston, West Virginia, USA.
Smith
Lisa A
LA
Paul
David P
DP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011639:Public Opinion; D014903:West Virginia