Residential Differences in the Incidence of Nursing Home Admissions across a Six-Year Period

Data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging are used to examine the incidence of nursing home admissions over a six-year period (1984-1990) among older adults (70+ at T1) living in four different residential contexts. Bivariate analysis identified significant differences between residence groups. Elders from less urbanized and thinly populated nonmetropolitan counties had the highest likelihood of admissions, while older residents of large metropolitan areas had the lowest. In multivariate models, differences by residence could not be accounted for by sociodemographic, health, and social support network characteristics that are known to influence admissions. Further research is needed to identify the specific community context factors that account for variation by place of residence in admissions experiences.