CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has begun fielding the Residential Care Community (RCC) survey, as part of the fifth wave of the biennial National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS), formerly the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP).
The CDC is asking directors of residential care communities that receive the 2020 Residential Care Community Questionnaire packet to please complete and submit the questionnaire online over a safe and secure network as soon as possible, or by completing the hardcopy version of the questionnaire included in the questionnaire packet.
NCHS has contracted with RTI International, an independent, nonprofit research organization to collect the NPALS data; their dedicated survey team can answer questions about the survey at their toll-free phone number (1-877-256-8171). To review the 2020 RCC survey's frequently asked questions, download samples of the questionnaire, and to learn more about the study, visit NCHS' NPALS participant portal: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals/index.htm. To be informed of key milestones regarding the 2020 RCC survey and about the release of NSLTCP data, join the Long-Term Care Listserv at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals/longterm_listserv.htm.
NCHS uses this information to produce publicly available reports on the major long-term care services sectors including assisted living and other residential care communities, adult day services centers, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals. Findings from previous survey waves can be accessed and downloaded at no cost here: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals/studyresults.htm NCHS thanks all of the residential care communities that submitted their questionnaires in the previous survey waves. Your participation made it possible to provide these accurate and relevant findings to providers, policy makers, advocates, and researchers. For instance, capacity estimates were used in the AARP's Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard (https://www.longtermscorecard.org/2020-scorecard/preface) to generate indicators for the supply of residential care, by state. The 2020 data collected will be kept confidential; NCHS has a long history of conducting surveys and is required by federal law to protect the privacy of the information it collects in its surveys.
This is a challenging and critical time for providers of post-acute and long-term care services, such as residential care communities. The 2020 survey will include questions on the RCC COVID-19 experience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that services at some RCCs may be temporarily or permanently suspended, reduced, or offered through alternative methods, and fewer people may be receiving services on a regular basis. NCHS has made modifications to some of the questions to address these COVID-related irregularities. However, some questions may still be difficult to answer at this time. We are asking providers to please complete the survey to the best of their ability.