Non-Profit versus For-Profit Nursing Homes: What Are the Differences?
Baby boomers will be older than 65 years old by 2030 and for the first time, the elderly will outnumber children. This will be a demographic milestone for the American population and also a sign that nursing homes will be playing a more important role in society.
Choosing the right nursing home for an elderly loved one is crucial to their quality of life. This is why it pays to be as informed as possible before making that important decision. Two of the options that you will come across during your search will be non-profit and for-profit nursing homes. So, what are their differences?
Non-profit facilities are found to have better service than for-profit ones
While this is not to say that all for-profit nursing homes have bad service because there are certainly good ones out there, studies have shown that residents in non-profit facilities enjoy better outcomes. For many years, experts have looked at different indicators of quality service including inspection ratings, quality scorings, and staffing rates, and most facilities that had less than satisfactory ratings are for-profit nursing facilities.
Non-profit facilities are more mission-focused than for-profit ones
Most non-profit facilities are backed by an organization with a mission to help the elderly. This is why they are more focused on their goals more than earning profits, as opposed to for-profit facilities that may feel the pressure to earn money.
This is one of the reasons that non-profit facilities perform better than for-profit ones, but it is still possible to find a great for-profit nursing home with the right organizational structure and management.
The nursing home market is dominated by for-profit facilities
If you’ve already tried searching for options for your loved one, you’d probably realize that there are more for-profit facilities than non-profit ones. Experts say that at least two-thirds of the market is composed of for-profit nursing facilities, which may make it hard for some individuals to find non-profit options in their area. Some non-profit nursing homes are also smaller than for-profit ones and may have limited slots available for residents.
So, which should you choose?
While non-profit nursing facilities sometimes are better reviewed than for-profit ones, experts still say that it will all boil down to your needs and the amount of research that you will do to find the right place for your elderly loved one.
Aside from the obvious things that you should look into such as the status of the nursing home, the number of people who will take care of your loved one and the quality of service that a facility offers, you should also ask about standard visitation rules, organizational structures, ownership and management, and even operational procedures to make sure that you have all corners covered before you make your final decision.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding the right fit for your loved one’s needs. There are a lot of good facilities, whether non-profit or for-profit, that can offer you excellent service. You just have to do a bit more research before making your choice.
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