Rules for Research in Nursing Homes

We do not generally think of the residents of nursing homes as research subjects. They reside in institutions having little contact with teaching facilities that do research. As part of our society's indifference to this population, research on their problems has not been encouraged or funded. However, the expanding field of geriatrics and our increasing sensitivity to the needs of the residents of nursing homes have brought a new interest in attempting to ameliorate the problems they face. Properly conducted and monitored research on this population can improve their care and treatment, but it raises critical issues of how to . . .