Perception Gap in Quality-of-Life Ratings: An Empirical Investigation of Nursing Home Residents and Caregivers

Autor/inn/en	Mittal, Vikas; Rosen, Jules; Govind, Rahul; Degenholtz, Howard; Shingala, Sunil; Hulland, Shelley; Rhee, YongJoo; Kastango, Kari B.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Castle, Nick; Rubin, Fred H.; Nace, David
Titel	Perception Gap in Quality-of-Life Ratings: An Empirical Investigation of Nursing Home Residents and Caregivers
Quelle	In: Gerontologist, 47 (2007) 2, S.159-168 (10 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0016-9013
Schlagwörter	Caregivers; Quality of Life; Nursing Homes; Job Satisfaction; Interviews + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Caregiver; Carer; Betreuungsperson; Pfleger; Lebensqualität; Sonderheim; Labor; Labour; Satisfaction; Arbeit; Zufriedenheit; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik
Abstract	Purpose: Several studies have previously documented the existence of a perception gap--the extent to which quality-of-life ratings provided by nursing home residents and caregivers diverge. In this study we use Helson's adaptation-level theory to investigate three types of antecedents: (a) focal factors, (b) background factors, and (c) residual factors. Design and Methods: We calculated the perception gap for 11 quality-of-life domains. Caregivers rated both job satisfaction and their perception of quality of life of residents in the unit where they provided service. Concurrently, residents from these units completed quality-of-life interviews. We computed the perception gap by subtracting the residents' ratings from the caregivers' ratings for each quality-of-life domain. We conducted a hierarchical linear model using 3,850 observations to predict the perception gap. Results: Caregivers perceive quality of life to be lower than residents do across all domains fairly consistently. Caregiver demographics do not directly predict the perception gap. However, satisfaction with work, pay, and promotion were significant predictors (p less than 0.05), and satisfaction with supervisor was a marginally significant predictor (p less than 0.10), of the perception gap. As satisfaction with these job dimensions increased, the perception gap decreased. Additional models show that several caregiver demographics directly influence job-satisfaction dimensions, though they did not influence the perception gap. Implications: Job-satisfaction dimensions, rather than caregiver characteristics, are the appropriate predictors of the perception gap. However, caregiver demographics exert their influence "indirectly" by means of job satisfaction. A key finding is that higher job satisfaction leads to a smaller perception gap. Helson's adaptation-level theory appears to be a useful approach for understanding the antecedents of the perception gap. (Author).
Anmerkungen	Gerontological Society of America. 1030 15th Street NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-842-1275; Fax: 202-842-1150; e-mail: geron@geron.org; Web site: http://www.geron.org/journals/gsapub.htm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10