Skip Navigation



The Gerontologist Advance Access published online on March 27, 2009
The Gerontologist, doi:10.1093/geront/gnp022
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
49/2/211    most recent
gnp022v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Street, D.
Right arrow Articles by Quadagno, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Street, D.
Right arrow Articles by Quadagno, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

The Effect of Licensure Type on the Policies, Practices, and Resident Composition of Florida Assisted Living Facilities

Debra Street, PhD1,2, Stephanie Burge, PhD3 and Jill Quadagno, PhD4

2 Department of Sociology, State University of New York at Buffalo
3 Department of Sociology, University of Oklahoma, Norman
4 Department of Sociology, Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy, Florida State University, Tallahassee

1 Address correspondence to Debra Street, PhD, Department of Sociology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 430 Park Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260. E-mail: dastreet{at}buffalo.edu


  Abstract

Purpose: Most assisted living facility (ALF) residents are White widows in their mid- to late 80s who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) because of frailty or cognitive decline. Yet, ALFs also serve younger individuals with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or serious mental illness. We compare Florida ALFs with different licensure profiles by admission–discharge policies and resident population characteristics. Design and Methods: We use state administrative data and facility survey data from the Florida Study of Assisted Living (FSAL) to classify ALFs by licensure type and to determine how licensure influences ALF policies, practices, and resident population profiles. Results: Standard-licensed traditional ALFs primarily serve elderly White women with physical care needs and typically retain residents when their physical health deteriorates. Some ALFs that hold specialty licenses (extended congregate care and limited nursing services) offer extra physical care services and serve an older, more physically frail population with greater physical and cognitive challenges. ALFs with limited mental health (LMH) licenses serve clientele who are more racially and ethnically diverse, younger, and more likely to be men and single. LMH facilities also have a significant proportion of frail elder residents who live alongside these younger residents, including some who exhibit behavioral problems. LMH facilities also employ discharge policies that make it more difficult for frail elderly residents to age in place. Implications: These differences by facility type raise important quality of life issues for both the frail elderly individuals and assisted living residents who do not fit the conventional demographic profile.

Keywords: Long-term care, Residential care, Aging in place, Mental illness, Racial and ethnic minorities

Received December 29, 2007; Accepted May 28, 2008

Decision Editor: William J. McAuley, PhD


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.