Ownership and quality of care in residential facilities for the elderly.

The quality of care older people receive in a residential facility is related to its ownership. Nonprofit facilities (N = 44) provided a more comfortable physical environment, more cohesive relationships, and more resident control than proprietary settings (N = 44) matched for size and resident functioning. Veterans facilities (N = 44) offered more services and a more diverse staff, but their policies permitted less resident autonomy and their social climates were less cohesive than community facilities of comparable size and resident functioning.