Can Nursing‐Home Care Be Cost‐Effective?*

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In an effort to find alternatives to the current abandonment of the nursing‐home patient, a project was started for the purpose of testing the cost effectiveness of other forms of primary care, i.e., care delivered by the nurse practitioner and the social worker. The goal of the three‐year demonstration project is to measure the effectiveness of different combinations of these services in improving the patients' level of functioning and behavior. Preliminary one‐year results are presented regarding changes in drug regimens, record keeping, and the care provided by nursing‐home staffs.