Honoring the Everyday Preferences of Nursing Home Residents: Perceived Choice and Satisfaction With Care

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: The nursing home (NH) culture change movement advocates for residents to be able to make choices about important aspects of their care. This study seeks to understand NH residents’ perceptions of choice that they have in the care they receive while in the NH setting. We examine the association between residents’ perceived choice and satisfaction with care preferences being met using a mixed methods approach. Design and Methods: Using thePreferences of Everyday Living Inventory, cognitive interviews were completed with 39 NH residents which resulted in a total of 600 item-level ratings of residents’ perceived choice and satisfaction and corresponding open-ended comments on choice. Results: Quantitative findings revealed a significant Pearson correlation between residents’ perceived choice and satisfaction (r = .47,p < .001). Participants’ responses of free choice were linked to significantly higher ratings of satisfaction compared to no choice and some choice. Responses of some choice were associated with significantly higher ratings of satisfaction than the no choice group. Open-ended comments provided greater depth in understanding regarding how residents perceive the level of choice in fulfilling their preferences. Implications: This study establishes a positive association between NH residents’ perceived choice and feelings of satisfaction with their care preferences being met. Offering choices that are deemed favorable or solicited from NH residents is a fundamental step toward increasing resident satisfaction with NH care.