Family Satisfaction With Residential Care Provision: A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess the impact of staff commitment on outcomes of quality of care in residential care facilities in a sample of 260 family members of residents and 206 direct care staff from 24 residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) homes in Kansas. Quality of care was measured as family satisfaction, and individual- and facility-level predictors were used in the model. The significant predictors of family satisfaction were the family member’s age and relationship to elder. The findings suggest that both of these variables are tied to beliefs that family members have about their own responsibility for care, which may in turn influence their satisfaction with care. This hypothesis deserves further attention in future research. Also, the failure of this study to affirm an expected relationship between staff commitment and family satisfaction should prompt further research related to staff commitment and family satisfaction.