Center for Excellence in Assisted Living CEAL@UNC

Advancing the well-being of the people who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy.

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

Patient Safety Culture in Assisted Living: Staff Perceptions and Association with State Regulations

Dec 1, 2022
ObjectivesTo examine perceptions of patient safety culture (PSC) among assisted living (AL) administrators and direct care workers (DCWs), and their associations with state regulations. DesignWe conducted a survey using the PSC instrument developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. Secondary data on ALs and residents were derived from the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary […]

Patient Safety Culture in Assisted Living: Staff Perceptions and Association with State Regulations

by Lea Efird-Green

ObjectivesTo examine perceptions of patient safety culture (PSC) among assisted living (AL) administrators and direct care workers (DCWs), and their associations with state regulations. DesignWe conducted a survey using the PSC instrument developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. Secondary data on ALs and residents were derived from the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary […]

Coping Behaviors and Health Status during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Caregivers of Assisted Living Residents in Western Canada

Dec 1, 2022
Objectives To examine the prevalence of coping behaviors during the first 2 waves of the COVID-19 pandemic among caregivers of assisted living residents and variation in these behaviors by caregiver gender and mental health. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey. Setting and Participants Family/friend caregivers of assisted living residents in Alberta and British Columbia. Methods A […]

Coping Behaviors and Health Status during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Caregivers of Assisted Living Residents in Western Canada

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives To examine the prevalence of coping behaviors during the first 2 waves of the COVID-19 pandemic among caregivers of assisted living residents and variation in these behaviors by caregiver gender and mental health. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey. Setting and Participants Family/friend caregivers of assisted living residents in Alberta and British Columbia. Methods A […]

Excess Mortality Among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct 1, 2022
Objective To evaluate whether assisted living (AL) residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) experienced a greater rate of excess all-cause mortality during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to residents without ADRD, and to compare excess all-cause mortality rates in memory care vs general AL among residents with ADRD. Design […]

Excess Mortality Among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Lea Efird-Green

Objective To evaluate whether assisted living (AL) residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) experienced a greater rate of excess all-cause mortality during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to residents without ADRD, and to compare excess all-cause mortality rates in memory care vs general AL among residents with ADRD. Design […]

Staff Attitudes Related to Antipsychotic Prescribing in Assisted Living

Sep 1, 2022
Assisted living (AL) provides the majority of residential long-term care in the United States. Almost 40% of AL residents display behaviors such as aggression and refusing care, 57% of whom receive medications for these behaviors. In nursing homes, concerns about inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing led to initiatives to reduce prescribing, and although there has been concern […]

Staff Attitudes Related to Antipsychotic Prescribing in Assisted Living

by Lea Efird-Green

Assisted living (AL) provides the majority of residential long-term care in the United States. Almost 40% of AL residents display behaviors such as aggression and refusing care, 57% of whom receive medications for these behaviors. In nursing homes, concerns about inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing led to initiatives to reduce prescribing, and although there has been concern […]

State Regulations and Hospice Utilization in Assisted Living during the Last Month of Life

Aug 1, 2022
Objectives: To examine the association between hospice/staffing regulations in residential care or assisted living (RC/AL) and hospice utilization among a national cohort of Medicare decedents residing in RC/AL at least 1 day during the last month of life, and to describe patterns of hospice utilization. Design: Retrospective cohort study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died […]

State Regulations and Hospice Utilization in Assisted Living during the Last Month of Life

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives: To examine the association between hospice/staffing regulations in residential care or assisted living (RC/AL) and hospice utilization among a national cohort of Medicare decedents residing in RC/AL at least 1 day during the last month of life, and to describe patterns of hospice utilization. Design: Retrospective cohort study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died […]

Melatonin Prescribing in Assisted Living

Jun 1, 2022
Objectives: Aging is associated with sleep problems, which are common among assisted living (AL) residents. More than 40% of residents have insomnia, and almost 70% have a sleep disturbance of some kind. Melatonin to treat sleep disorders has become common among older adults, but its use in AL is unknown, which is concerning because melatonin […]

Melatonin Prescribing in Assisted Living

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives: Aging is associated with sleep problems, which are common among assisted living (AL) residents. More than 40% of residents have insomnia, and almost 70% have a sleep disturbance of some kind. Melatonin to treat sleep disorders has become common among older adults, but its use in AL is unknown, which is concerning because melatonin […]

As-Needed Prescribing and Administration of Psychotropic Medications in Assisted Living: A 7-State Study

Jun 1, 2022
Objectives Psychotropic medications administered on an as-needed basis, often designated as pro re nata (or PRN, hereafter as-needed), can alleviate acute symptoms and facilitate deprescribing, although as-needed use is associated with negative outcomes such as polypharmacy and drug interactions. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which PRN psychotropic medications are […]

As-Needed Prescribing and Administration of Psychotropic Medications in Assisted Living: A 7-State Study

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives Psychotropic medications administered on an as-needed basis, often designated as pro re nata (or PRN, hereafter as-needed), can alleviate acute symptoms and facilitate deprescribing, although as-needed use is associated with negative outcomes such as polypharmacy and drug interactions. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which PRN psychotropic medications are […]

Antibiotic Deescalation Opportunities for Residents in Assisted Living Facilities

Jun 1, 2022
Antibiotic prescribing patterns offer insights into clinical care across different health care settings, especially in nursing homes (NHs). These residents are highly susceptible to infection and are frequently inappropriately treated with antibiotics. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a common cause of adverse drug events, colonization, and infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and Clostridioides difficile […]

Antibiotic Deescalation Opportunities for Residents in Assisted Living Facilities

by Lea Efird-Green

Antibiotic prescribing patterns offer insights into clinical care across different health care settings, especially in nursing homes (NHs). These residents are highly susceptible to infection and are frequently inappropriately treated with antibiotics. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a common cause of adverse drug events, colonization, and infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and Clostridioides difficile […]

Implementing Large-Scale Data-Driven Quality Improvement in Assisted Living

Feb 1, 2022
Objectives Develop and evaluate the implementation of a proposed model for large-scale data-driven quality improvement in assisted living. Design We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the implementation of a large-scale data-driven quality improvement collaborative of Wisconsin assisted living communities (ALCs). Setting and Participants The model has been voluntarily implemented by 810 Wisconsin-licensed ALCs serving >20,000 […]

Implementing Large-Scale Data-Driven Quality Improvement in Assisted Living

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives Develop and evaluate the implementation of a proposed model for large-scale data-driven quality improvement in assisted living. Design We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the implementation of a large-scale data-driven quality improvement collaborative of Wisconsin assisted living communities (ALCs). Setting and Participants The model has been voluntarily implemented by 810 Wisconsin-licensed ALCs serving >20,000 […]

Using Medicare Enrollment Data to Identify Beneficiaries in Assisted Living

Feb 1, 2022
Objectives: Develop an approach for identifying Medicare beneficiaries residing in US assisted living (AL) communities in calendar year 2018. Design: We used the following data sources: national directory of licensed ALs, file of US addresses and their associated 9-digit ZIP codes (ZIP+4), Medicare Enrollment Database (EDB), Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF), and the Minimum Data […]

Using Medicare Enrollment Data to Identify Beneficiaries in Assisted Living

by Lea Efird-Green

Objectives: Develop an approach for identifying Medicare beneficiaries residing in US assisted living (AL) communities in calendar year 2018. Design: We used the following data sources: national directory of licensed ALs, file of US addresses and their associated 9-digit ZIP codes (ZIP+4), Medicare Enrollment Database (EDB), Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF), and the Minimum Data […]