Family Perceptions of Geriatric Foster Family and Nursing Home Care

Relatives of 40 matched pairs of patients in geriatric foster homes and nursing homes were asked to rate care provided to their patients; 62 (78%) of these 80 relatives responded. Significantly more foster family patients had positive pre-placement attitudes than did nursing home patients. Upon follow-up, the relatives of patients in foster families reported seeing more patient improvement, patient satisfaction with activities, patient friendships, and privacy than did the relatives of patients in nursing homes. Regression analysis showed that patient improvement as perceived by the relative was best predicted by positive pre-placement attitudes of the patients and their family respondents. Actual patient improvement in anxiety, however, was predicted by foster home placement. For family interventionists, these findings confirm the importance of pre-placement counseling in long-term care and suggest some advantages associated with foster family care.