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Does Cognitive Status Moderate the Health Effects of Single-Person Room Transfers on Nursing Home Residents?

^a Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College, NY

Correspondence: Jerrold Mirotznik, PhD,MPH, Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210. E-mail: Jerrym{at}brooklyn.cuny.edu.

Decision Editor: Laurence G. Branch, PhD

Purpose: This study investigated whether cognitively impaired nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to harmful effects during single-person, intrabuilding room transfers. Design and Methods: A variation of a pretest–posttest experimental-comparison group design was used. Data on cognitive status, mortality, and seven morbidity outcome measures were abstracted from the Minimum Data Set Plus and were analyzed by means of event history analyses, controlling for covariates as well as baseline status of outcome variables. Results: None of the Relocation x Cognitive Status interaction effects were significant at the Bonferroni corrected p value. Implications:These findings suggest that cognitive status may not moderate the health effects of single-person room transfers.

Key Words: Cognitive impairment • Morbidity • Mortality • Intrainstitutional relocation • Room transfers