The relationship of health care experience to satisfactory relocation in long-term care

Nurses and other health care workers have observed and documented in the literature a change or deterioration in the physical and mental health of residents pursuant to relocation to a long-term care facility. This study was designed to look at the influence on successful relocation of a possible contributing factor, previous experience in health care. Using random selection from 100 residents from four Louisiana nursing homes, 50 long-term care residents were asked to participate in a structured interview. Quality and quantity of previous health care as well as factors present in the previous health care experience were examined with respect to successful relocation. Analyses by ANOVA and Pearson product moment correlation were performed. No significance was found between the independent and the dependent variable, except for one item on the questionnaire, "How do you rate your overall medical care?" This response was found to have a significant relationship with the score of the Life Satisfaction Index. A significant relationship was also found between religion and room change and between degree of perceived internal control and Life Satisfaction Index score.