Surveying people living in nursing homes and other institutions: Challenges and solutions |
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| Coordinator 1 | Dr Mareike Bünning (German Centre of Gerontology) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr Michael Weinhardt (German Centre of Gerontology) |
| Coordinator 3 | Dr Michael Bergmann (SHARE) |
| Coordinator 4 | Dr Katrin Drasch (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) |
A substantial part of every society's population resides in nursing homes, long-term care facilities or residential homes for disabled adults. However, many surveys restrict their samples to people living in private households, excluding institutionalised populations. This leads to biased estimates in population-level research. Including these populations is crucial for providing a more comprehensive understanding of social outcomes across different living conditions and informing policies that address the needs of vulnerable groups. Yet, even if surveys attempt to collect data from people living in institutions, this comes with particular problems and challenges. Finding a suitable sampling frame is often challenging and may require a two-step procedure, where institutions are sampled first and individuals within institutions second. In panel studies, tracking the transition into institutionalised living is particularly difficult. Moreover, gaining the cooperation of institutions, which are not the primary research target but play a key role as 'gatekeepers', is essential. Conducting the interview itself may pose further challenges, including finding a suitable location in the institution and scheduling interviews around tight routines. Finally, depending on the institution, the health status of residents may limit their ability to participate in the survey, and alternative methods like assisted or proxy interviews may be necessary to maintain data quality and representativeness.
This session invites contributions that address these challenges and propose solutions for surveying institutionalised populations. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
• Sampling institutions, including questions of suitable sampling frames or other approaches
• Sampling procedures for individuals residing within institutions
• Monitoring transitions to institutional living in panel studies
• Engaging institutional managers and stakeholders to support research efforts
• Practical challenges in conducting interviews within institutions and nursing homes
• Ethical issues in surveying the institutionalised population, such as consent and vulnerability
• Enhancing data quality in surveys on institutionalised populations