The impact of ageing-in-place policies on structural change in residential aged care.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reports findings from a study to investigate the impact of ageing-in-place policies on resident dependency levels and to explore the relationship between structural variables and outcome ratings.


METHODS
The study involved a time series data collection of high- and low-care places and accreditation ratings from both the first and the second accreditation cycles in Queensland (N = 482 and 499). Paired-samples t-tests were also conducted on a sample of homes providing both high- and low-level care to assess changing dependency levels over the two time periods.


RESULTS
A statistically significant increase (0.005) was found in the proportion of residents classified as high care living in low-care homes between the first and the second accreditation cycles.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that the ageing-in-place regulatory intervention achieved the intended policy goal and homes have effectively implemented staffing and quality control strategies to accommodate the changes.
Richardson
Bev
B
Australasian Centre of Ageing, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. bev.richardson@westnet.com.au
Bartlett
Helen
H
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D016134:Organizational Policy