Finding a model that supports quality

Abstract

While Canadian provinces demonstrate considerable diversity of performance within the non-profit sector and further research is needed to better understand which non-profit models support the best quality, Canadian research has been generally consistent with US research in confirming a relationship between for-profit ownership and inferior quality. The quality concerns arising from public funding to the private for-profit residential long-term care sector are unlikely to be addressed by adopting tighter regulations. With the expansion of private for-profit delivery, the organizational goals of the regulator and the facilities being regulated become less aligned. The former is likely to move to a more deterrence-based model of regulation, which is costly, less effective and draws resources away from direct patient care.