VACANCY MONITORING REPORT

Section 5 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The census is intended to cover all residential care homes in Scotland which are registered with local authorities.

The number of establishments covered by the 1999 census is estimated to be around 1620, of which 666 are intended for older people. These establishments were asked to provide information on their numbers of residents throughout the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999, this included details of admissions, discharges and deaths. Responses were obtained from around 1410 establishments, giving an estimated response rate of approximately 87 per cent. However, this response rate, did vary from area to area.

The figures presented in this report have been grossed up to take account of non-response. The methodology adopted was based on using returns of establishments of similar type, sector and local authority area to estimate figures for those establishments which did not submit a return.

Some of the column and row totals in these tables may not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding.

The methodology for dealing with non response in 1999 is different to that previously adopted, therefore care should be taken when making comparisons with pre-1999 data.

The census is intended to cover all nursing homes in Scotland which are registered with health boards.

The number of homes covered by the 1999 census is estimated to be around 545, of which 508 responded. The bed complement covers the total beds available in all nursing homes in Scotland, whereas the occupancy rate is derived using only the beds occupied in the nursing homes that submitted a return for the census year. All establishments were asked to provide information on their numbers of residents throughout the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999, this included details of admissions, discharges and deaths. The response rates for the most recent census were estimated at approximately 93 per cent of homes or 94 per cent of beds. However, these response rates, did vary from area to area.

The methodology for dealing with non response in the census of residential care homes is different to that adopted for the nursing homes.

Further details and analysis of the data presented in this report are available on request from the addresses following.