Factors influencing the recommendation of nursing homes.

This article reviews and compares the perceptions of nursing homes by residents and their proxies (family, friends, etc.) and reports that residents tended to give higher ratings to services than do their proxies. The analysis attempts to determine why residents give higher marks, which group the facility should look to for feedback, and whether the ratings will help organize the strengths and weaknesses in the facility to produce positive word of mouth within the community.