Module 1 - Case

Introduction to Quality Assurance in Long Term Care

Assignment Overview

Up to this point, you have learned a bit about rules and regulations that govern the operation of long term care facilities. Some in the long term care industry have half-heartedly joked that "long term care is more heavily regulated than the nuclear power industry." Whereas this may be an exaggeration, it speaks to the fact that long term care facilities are VERY heavily regulated.

In order to appreciate the current regulatory environment in which long term care facilities must operate, we need to understand the history of long term care in America. In order to answer the question "why do we have so many rules and regulations in long term care," we need to go back in time and witness the evolution of long term care in this country.

Zinn, L. (1999). A good look back over our shoulders. Nursing Homes & Long Term Care Management, 48(12), 20-54. Retrieved from Proquest.

Although the article is dated 1999, it is an exceptionally well done article that chronicles the evolution of long term care in America.
Case Assignment Task

In this first case assignment, you are asked to read the background material as well as any other articles that you research and prepare a 4-5 page paper that addresses the following:

Discuss the evolution of nursing homes in the United States.

What features "shocked" or "surprised" you the most?

What new information did you learn about long term care and facilities in the United States?

Are regulatory bodies justified in their formulating so many strict rules and regulations?

How does the past of long term care inform the future of quality assurance in long term care settings?

Assignment Expectations

Your references and citations should be consistent with a particular formatting style, such as APA.

Your response should be based on this article. You can pull in outside material if you wish to substantiate a point, but that material should be scholarly, such as peer-reviewed articles, white papers, technical papers, etc... Do not include information from non-scholarly materials such as Wikis, encyclopedias, www.freearticles.com (or similar websites).

Your response should incorporate the objectives of the module with the requirements of this assignment.