This report investigates the structural distribution and operational characteristics of nursing and related care homes across the United States based on the 1982 National Master Facility Inventory (NMFI) survey. Dorothy A. Roper, writing under the auspices of the National Center for Health Statistics, utilizes the NMFI dataset to categorize facilities by size, ownership type, and geographic location. The primary argument focuses on establishing a baseline for institutional long-term care capacity during the early 1980s to inform future health policy and resource allocation.

Researchers and policy analysts frequently cite this document as a foundational statistical reference for historical longitudinal studies on the American nursing home industry. Experts note that the report provides a precise, albeit narrow, snapshot of facility infrastructure that is essential for understanding the evolution of long-term care systems.