A qualitative exploration of veteran and family perspectives on medical foster homes.

Since 2008, the Veterans Health Administration Medical Foster Home (MFH) program has served as an alternative to nursing home care for Veterans. As part of a larger national research study, 55 in-person interviews with 62 Veterans and/or their families were conducted to identify reasons for selecting or declining MFH placement. Enrollment was attributed to: a need for increased care and a preference for highly individualized care oversight and family-oriented settings. Reasons for declining placement included: costs, location of MFHs, lack of readiness of family or Veteran to move, and level of confidence that MFHs would meet care needs. Experiences and perspectives regarding advantages and challenges of the MFH program are also described.