About the National Survey of Residential Care Facilities

In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducted a new study of residential care communities. The National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF) is a first ever survey of residential care providers. NCHS partners for NSRCF include the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Included are residential care facilities; assisted living residences; board and care homes; congregate care enriched housing programs; homes for the aged; personal care homes; and shared housing establishments that are licensed, registered, listed, certified, or otherwise regulated by a state. Eligibility also requires that these communities offer help with personal care or health-related services, provide two meals a day, around-the-clock supervision, and serve an adult population. Residences licensed to serve exclusively persons with mental illness, mental retardation, or developmental disabilities are ineligible.

NSRCF is designed to produce national estimates of these places and their residents. The national data collection was conducted between March and November, 2010. Approximately 2,300 facilities participated in the national survey.

NSRCF collected information about the characteristics of residential care places and the people who live there:

• Facility characteristics, such as size, ownership, staffing, certification status, and services provided
• Resident demographics, such as age, sex, race, and marital status
• Resident health, functional status, and involvement in activities
• Resident services used and charges

In-person interviews were conducted with residential care administrators and caregivers and staffs. To obtain resident characteristics, three to six residents (based on facility size) were randomly selected to participate in the survey. Interviews were not conducted with residents.

This information will help policy makers, health care planners, and providers better understand, plan for, and serve the future long-term care needs of the U.S. aging population.

Results from the survey will be made available to the public through NCHS reports and as micro data files. However, all information will be confidential and aggregated such that facilities, residents, and respondents cannot be identified.

To sign up for the Long-term Care listserv, to learn more about NSRCF, and to receive announcements when data are released, visit the National Survey of Residental Care Facilities homepage or leave a message at 301–458–4747.