Waldo C. Klein, PhD and Cheryl A. Parks, PhD, MSW. School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117, 8605709154, waldo.klein@uconn.edu

A mixed-method study was conducted to document the prevalence and types of loss, parties responsible for, and response of formal caregivers to property loss among nursing home residents. Property loss was defined to include durable medical equipment (e.g., hearing aids, dentures) and personal property deemed of either emotional or financial value (e.g., radios, jewelry and other personal possessions). Clothing items were specifically excluded. Four major data sources were utilized: a group administered survey of nursing home resident council presidents (n = 122), a review of formal complaints filed with the Ombudsman Reporting System (ORS) during the year preceding the study, interviews with all regional ombudsmen (n =6) employed statewide, and interviews with a stratified probability sample of nursing home administrators statewide (n = 12). Admissions materials from participating nursing homes were also reviewed to identify current policies and practices. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data was used to reconcile the divergent perspectives of residents, caregivers, and advocates on the nature and sources of property loss among nursing home residents. Major themes included characteristics by which property and property loss are defined, attributions of responsibility, and organizational culture. This unique approach to data collection and analysis yielded a rich set of policy recommendations and suggested “best practice” strategies to manage and reduce potential property loss among nursing homes residents in the future. As the principal professional advocates for residents in these facilities, social workers bear a substantial responsibility for implementing these recommendations.

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