ABSTRACT
There is a growing concern over the future of long term care in America. The growing number of elderly and disabled has created new roles for long term care facilities, such as nursing homes and residential care facilities, and facility personnel are expected to do more than provide basic nursing care. The traditional emphasis on quality of care has been joined by the new concern for quality of life. Consumers and health care professionals, especially long term care practitioners, agree that the nursing home should be a place for living to the fullest extent of an individual’s capabilities (McDonald, 1982).
