AARP Eye Center
AARP Virginia wants to hear from people who have loved ones in nursing homes. Please contact us at this link.
Our nursing home residents deserve better than subpar conditions. That’s why AARP is fighting to put the safety and well-being of nursing home residents first. Learn more here.
Summary of Key Findings
The coronavirus pandemic exposed problems in our nation’s long-term care system that have brought forth a number of policy proposals aimed at improving the quality of care nursing home residents receive.
More than 7-in-10 (71%) of all voters support the establishment of minimum hourly staffing thresholds, with support consistent across genders, age groups, and regions. This proposal is supported by almost 8-in-10 (78%) moderate voters and nearly two-thirds (62%) of conservative voters.
More than three-quarters (77%) of all voters support providing a living wage to paid caregivers in nursing homes, with support nearly identical among age groups and voters in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Clear majorities of moderate voters (81%) and conservative voters (60%) support this proposal.
The questions reported here are part of a survey of 800 Virginia Registered Likely Voters Age 18+ conducted by Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University on behalf of AARP, August 15-23, 2021. The full research report will explore how voters across the state feel about – and expect candidates to address – key health and financial security challenges that impact Virginians of all ages.
Margin of error +/-3.6%.
Nursing Home Quality Questions
1. The coronavirus pandemic exposed problems in our nation’s long-term care system that have brought forth a number of policy proposals. Please indicate whether you support or oppose each of the following proposals aimed at improving the quality of care nursing home residents receive. If you are unsure, please say that.
A. Establishing competency-based training requirements for those hired to work in home and community-based settings, with some exceptions for family caregivers.
Total (%) 18-49 (%) 50-64 (%) 65+ (%) N 801 283 218 300 Support 74 68 78 78 Oppose 6 7 4 5 Unsure 20 24 17 15 Don’t Know 1 1 1 2 Total (%) White
(%)Black
(%)Other (%) Hispanic
(%)n 800 552 160 88 38 Support 74 76 76 64 79 Oppose 6 5 1 16 11 Unsure 20 18 23 19 11 Don’t Know 1 1 1 1 0
| Total (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) | |
| n | 800 | 392 | 408 |
| Support | 74 | 72 | 77 |
| Oppose | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| Unsure | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total (%) | Northern (%) | Richmond-Central (%) | Hampton Roads-East (%) | South/Southwest /West (%) | |
| n | 800 | 254 | 190 | 190 | 166 |
| Support | 74 | 71 | 77 | 73 | 78 |
| Oppose | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Unsure | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total (%) | Liberal/ Very Liberal (%) | Moderate (%) | Conservative/ Very Conservative (%) | |
| n | 762 | 207 | 265 | 290 |
| Support | 74 | 81 | 77 | 68 |
| Oppose | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Unsure | 20 | 16 | 16 | 23 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Total (%) | Urban (%) | Suburban (%) | Rural (%) | |
| n | 800 | 122 | 406 | 271 |
| Support | 74 | 77 | 69 | 82 |
| Oppose | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Unsure | 20 | 20 | 22 | 13 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
B. Establishing minimum hourly staffing thresholds in nursing homes for RNs, LPNs, and CNAs.
| Total (%) | 18-49 (%) | 50-64 (%) | 65+ (%) | |
| n | 799 | 282 | 218 | 299 |
| Support | 71 | 68 | 70 | 75 |
| Oppose | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 |
| Unsure | 20 | 23 | 22 | 16 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Total (%) | White (%) | Black (%) | Other (%) | Hispanic (%) | |
| n | 799 | 552 | 160 | 88 | 38 |
| Support | 71 | 73 | 72 | 60 | 76 |
| Oppose | 7 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 16 |
| Unsure | 20 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 8 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Total (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) | |
| n | 799 | 391 | 408 |
| Support | 71 | 71 | 72 |
| Oppose | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| Unsure | 20 | 18 | 20 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total (%) | Northern (%) | Richmond-Central (%) | Hampton Roads-East (%) | South/Southwest /West (%) | |
| n | 798 | 253 | 189 | 190 | 166 |
| Support | 71 | 73 | 69 | 68 | 75 |
| Oppose | 7 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
| Unsure | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total (%) | Liberal/ Very Liberal (%) | Moderate (%) | Conservative/ Very Conservative (%) | |
| n | 762 | 207 | 265 | 290 |
| Support | 71 | 81 | 78 | 62 |
| Oppose | 7 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| Unsure | 20 | 16 | 14 | 27 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total (%) | Urban (%) | Suburban (%) | Rural (%) | |
| n | 799 | 122 | 406 | 271 |
| Support | 71 | 69 | 70 | 73 |
| Oppose | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Unsure | 20 | 20 | 23 | 17 |
| Don’t Know | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
C. Providing a living wage to paid caregivers who work in nursing homes caring for residents in order to help reduce staff turnover. A living wage allows employees to earn enough to afford adequate shelter, food, and other basic necessities.
| Total (%) | 18-49 (%) | 50-64 (%) | 65+ (%) | |
| n | 800 | 282 | 218 | 299 |
| Support | 77 | 76 | 77 | 77 |
| Oppose | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 |
| Unsure | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total (%) | White (%) | Black (%) | Other (%) | Hispanic (%) | |
| n | 799 | 552 | 160 | 87 | 38 |
| Support | 77 | 75 | 93 | 58 | 79 |
| Oppose | 12 | 12 | 4 | 29 | 16 |
| Unsure | 10 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 5 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) | |
| n | 800 | 392 | 408 |
| Support | 77 | 72 | 81 |
| Oppose | 12 | 18 | 7 |
| Unsure | 10 | 9 | 12 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total (%) | Northern (%) | Richmond-Central (%) | Hampton Roads-East (%) | South/Southwest /West (%) | |
| n | 800 | 253 | 190 | 190 | 167 |
| Support | 77 | 78 | 78 | 72 | 80 |
| Oppose | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 7 |
| Unsure | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 11 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total (%) | Liberal/ Very Liberal (%) | Moderate (%) | Conservative/ Very Conservative (%) | |
| n | 762 | 207 | 265 | 290 |
| Support | 77 | 98 | 81 | 60 |
| Oppose | 12 | 1 | 11 | 21 |
| Unsure | 10 | 1 | 8 | 19 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total (%) | Urban (%) | Suburban (%) | Rural (%) | |
| n | 800 | 122 | 407 | 271 |
| Support | 77 | 78 | 78 | 75 |
| Oppose | 12 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| Unsure | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
D. Requiring providers to supply training in infection prevention and control for all direct-care workers in residential care settings and home care agencies.
| Total (%) | 18-49 (%) | 50-64 (%) | 65+ (%) | |
| n | 801 | 283 | 218 | 300 |
| Support | 85 | 84 | 84 | 87 |
| Oppose | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Unsure | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total (%) | White (%) | Black (%) | Other (%) | Hispanic (%) | |
| n | 798 | 552 | 160 | 89 | 38 |
| Support | 85 | 84 | 96 | 72 | 84 |
| Oppose | 5 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| Unsure | 10 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 0 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) | |
| n | 800 | 392 | 408 |
| Support | 85 | 83 | 87 |
| Oppose | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Unsure | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total (%) | Northern (%) | Richmond-Central (%) | Hampton Roads-East (%) | South/Southwest /West (%) | |
| n | 801 | 253 | 190 | 190 | 167 |
| Support | 85 | 81 | 88 | 86 | 86 |
| Oppose | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Unsure | 10 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total (%) | Liberal/ Very Liberal (%) | Moderate (%) | Conservative/ Very Conservative (%) | |
| n | 762 | 207 | 265 | 290 |
| Support | 85 | 93 | 86 | 80 |
| Oppose | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Unsure | 10 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total (%) | Urban (%) | Suburban (%) | Rural (%) | |
| n | 801 | 123 | 407 | 271 |
| Support | 85 | 89 | 83 | 86 |
| Oppose | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Unsure | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
E. Requiring employers to provide direct-care workers a reasonable amount of paid sick leave.
| Total (%) | 18-49 (%) | 50-64 (%) | 65+ (%) | |
| n | 799 | 283 | 217 | 299 |
| Support | 82 | 84 | 85 | 78 |
| Oppose | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
| Unsure | 8 | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| Don’t Know | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total (%) | White (%) | Black (%) | Other (%) | Hispanic (%) | |
| n | 798 | 552 | 159 | 88 | 38 |
| Support | 82 | 82 | 91 | 64 | 84 |
| Oppose | 8 | 7 | 3 | 24 |