How to Participate in the NPALS RCC Survey

Overview

The Residential Care Community (RCC) Survey is part of the National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study (NPALS). The survey includes two questionnaires:

• The RCC provider questionnaire about the community
• The RCC service user questionnaire about a small sample of residents

Completing the provider questionnaire

The provider questionnaire takes, on average, about 30 minutes to complete. You have the option to complete and submit the provider questionnaire online or by mailing back the completed hard copy. Some people find that it is faster or more convenient to complete the provider questionnaire online than by hardcopy.

• If submitting online, you can save your information and come back to complete it later. You also can print a copy of your online submission for your records.

• If submitting by hard copy, please return your completed hardcopy provider questionnaire in the enclosed pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope. The address is: NPALS, RTI International, attn.: Data Capture, 5265 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27690-1653.

The questionnaires should be completed using the most current information available unless question text specifies a different reference period (such as during the last 30 days, in the last 90 days, in the last 12 months).

To view a copy of the provider questionnaire, go to 2022 Residential Care Community Provider Questionnaire.

Completing the services user questionnaire

The services user questionnaire is completed by telephone. Participating RCC directors will be asked to provide information about two randomly selected residents. The director will answer questions about the two participants based on information they know about the participants, as well as information they can obtain from their records.

It takes, on average, about 30 minutes to complete the services user questionnaire. You can make an appointment for the telephone interview that is convenient for you.

To view a copy of the services user questionnaire, go to 2022 Residential Care Community Services User Questionnaire.

Preparing for the call

We ask that you print out a list of the participants currently enrolled in your center as of midnight the night before the services user telephone questionnaire appointment. You also will need the showcards that we either sent to you or asked you to view or print from the NPALS website.

To view or print another copy of the showcards, go to Residential Care Community Show Card Booklet.

Operators of multiple communities

If your organization operates multiple residential care communities, please only complete questionnaires for the residential care community in your organization that we have invited to be part of this year's survey sample. Each sampled RCC site will receive its own questionnaires and the responses to the questions should be only about the community whose name and address appear in the label.

It is important that you complete questionnaires for each community separately, so that the National Center for Health Statistics can make accurate estimates for all residential care communities in the United States. Please do not provide answers for multiple centers on one questionnaire.