The Use of Public Policy Analysis to Enhance the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987

Given the prevalence of abuse and neglect in nursing home care delivery vis-à-vis elderly and frail residents, and despite the advent and implementation of the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 (a policy that sought to diminish such conduct in such institutional settings), deficiency citations in nursing home care and services remain both problematic and common. By employing public policy analysis, and by analyzing various social science theories applicable to the improvement of care delivery and quality, this article seeks to develop methods to enhance compliance with the Nursing Home Reform Act and reduce care deficiencies in nursing homes.