OU Public Health Faculty Publish New Findings on the Power of Social Service Staffing in Nursing Homes

Two faculty members from the Department of Health Administration and Policy—Dr. Ganisher Davlyatov and Dr. Aizhan Karabukayeva—have published new research highlighting an often-overlooked but essential component of long-term care: social service staffing in U.S. nursing homes.

The study, released in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), analyzed nearly 38,500 nursing home facility-year observations from 2021–2023 to examine how small increases in social service support influence resident outcomes. Working with collaborators Dr. Christina Miller and Dr. John Bowblis, Dr. Davlyatov and Dr. Karabukayeva found that nursing homes providing just a few additional minutes of social service care per resident per day were more likely to earn higher CMS quality ratings and saw fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations among long-stay residents.

Their work underscores the vital role social service professionals play—counseling residents, assisting with care planning, and helping families navigate complex decisions—despite the fact that most facilities offer fewer than six minutes of social service support per resident per day. The researchers note that even modest increases in staffing, at relatively low cost, could meaningfully improve the quality of care in long-term care settings. Their findings call on policymakers and nursing home leaders to prioritize the social supports that contribute to resident well-being.

This publication adds to OU Hudson’s growing body of research strengthening evidence-based improvements in long-term care and aging services.