Exploring the Quality Performance of Ethno-Specific and Mainstream Not-For-Profit Long-Term Care Homes in Ontario
Abstract
The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine how ethno-specific not-for-profit long-term care (LTC) homes in Ontario perform in comparison to mainstream not-for-profit LTC homes using nine RAI-MDS 2.0 quality indicators. Publicly available data from three sources: the Canadian Institute for Health Information "Your Health System: In Depth" database from the Continuing Care Reporting System, data on Ontario ethno-specific not-for-profit LTC homes from the Home and Community Care Support Services, and data on home and ownership records from the Ministry of Long-Term Care “Public Reporting” website, between 2017-2022, were retrieved and analyzed. Descriptive analysis suggests that for all quality indicators, except for improved physical functioning, ethno-specific not-for-profit LTC homes performed better, with fewer residents experiencing adverse health outcomes. Significance testing suggests that four quality indicators were statistically different between not-for-profit ethno-specific and mainstream LTC homes. Specifically, ethno-specific LTC homes had a smaller percentage of residents experiencing pain, falls in the last 30 days, and worsening depressive moods, while mainstream LTC homes had a higher percentage of residents experiencing improved physical functioning. The study findings aim to inform future research on interventions and policy adaptations to enhance the overall quality of care for culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse older adults living in Ontario’s LTC homes.