A PRIMARY-CARE NURSING MODEL IN LONG-TERM-CARE FACILITIES - EVALUATION OF IMPACT ON AFFECT, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIALIZATION

A primary care model of delivery of nursing aide care was implemented and evaluated in one small, rural nursing home and one large, urban fa cility. Experimental unit residents received primary care consisting o f permanent assignment of nursing aide, a team approach and enhanced c ommunication. The urban experimental residents improved significantly in behavior and affect as measured across several sources, while the c omparison group declined or remained the same. Significant improvement s in behavior and social activities were observed among the experiment al rural nursing home residents as contrasted with the comparison grou p after implementation of primary care nursing. It was concluded that primary care nursing as applied to nursing attendants in long-term car e is beneficial to residents in terms of decreasing disturbed behavior and improved affect.