National Nursing Home Survey Series

Investigator(s): National Center for Health Statistics

The National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS), a nationwide sample survey of nursing homes and their residents and discharges, is designed to provide comprehensive national data on a continuing basis to those who establish standards for and plan, provide, and assess long-term care services. The surveys, which are conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, collect national baseline data on nursing home characteristics, services, and residents for all nursing homes in the nation, regardless of whether they participate in federal programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. Data are offered on labor and costs (fixed, operating, and miscellaneous) incurred by facilities in providing care and on certification for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Begun in 1969, the surveys provide compatible data for valid trend analysis and allow for interrelation of facility and resident data so that relationships among utilization, services offered, charges for care, and the cost of providing care can be examined.