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Changes in health status subsequent to nursing home closure

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Abstract

Despite the negative nomenclature used to describe interinstitutional relocation of elders—such as relocation stress—research on the detrimental effects of these relocations has so far provided equivocal results. In our analyses we use six years of data from the Minimum Data Set and 301 nursing home residents. We determine some detrimental effects of interinstitutional relocation on changes in cognitive performance, depression, and social engagement. The effects identified were small. Nonetheless, the changes in outcomes identified may be important in the nursing home setting and we believe the continued study of the effects of interinstitutional relocation is important.

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Correspondence to Nicholas G. Castle.

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He currently has over 75 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and is the PI on five active grants and one federal contract. He is currently examining staff turnover in nursing homes, the federal report card Nursing Home Compare, and nursing home administrator job satisfaction.

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Castle, N.G. Changes in health status subsequent to nursing home closure. Ageing Int. 30, 263–277 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-005-1015-x

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