ABSTRACT
In this chapter we address the application of human factors and ergonomic concepts to the provision of nursing home care in the United States. The evidence is clear that providing care to the impaired elderly in nursing homes presents some of the most difficult human factors challenges in the health care field. The work is physically demanding, emotionally draining, low-paying, and often carried out with inadequate staff. After providing an overview of nursing home care and describing the primary human resources required for it, we exam ine each of these human factor and ergonomic issues with a focus on what has been learned (and what has not) about how to identify and reduce human factor “ stressors” in the provision of nurs ing home care.
