Measuring administrators' and direct care workers' perceptions of the safety culture in assisted living facilities.
More than 1.5 million Americans reside in nursing homes, and prior research has shown that safety culture is relatively poor among frontline workers in this setting. This study used a modified version of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture to assess safety culture in assisted living facilities, another type of long-term care intended for less complex patients. The findings mirrored the results of safety culture assessments in nursing homes and hospitals in that frontline workers—nurses and nursing assistants—generally viewed safety culture more negatively than did administrators and managers. The issues surrounding patient safety in long-term care are discussed in an AHRQ WebM&M commentary.