Nursing Homes for the Aged: The Human Consequences of Legislation‐shaped Environments

Current federal legislation has established nursing homes as part of the medical health‐care system rather than as community‐based institutions. The associated regulations allocate resources and provide services in a manner that emphasizes meeting the medical requirements of the individual, often at the expense of his social and psychological needs. Further, the quality of life that can be provided in nursing homes receiving public funds has been determined in large part by the kind of bureaucracy mandated by federal legislation and the supporting state standards of operations required for certification. The resulting organization constricts the range of options open to the individual in such settings, fostering psychological and economic dependency. Considerations for an alternative, person‐focused public policy are presented that would function to maintain a more optimal level of independence for the elderly.