Howard Degenholtz

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About

Dr. Howard Degenholtz is a leading health policy researcher whose work focuses on long-term care, nursing home reform, and the measurement of quality of life for older adults. His major contributions include developing and validating the widely-used Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QOL-AD) scale, a tool that has become a standard for assessing well-being in dementia care. His research has shaped policy debates around nursing home regulation and the integration of long-term services within broader healthcare systems. With over 3,000 citations, his work on resident-centered outcomes and the ethics of end-of-life decision-making has had a profound impact on gerontology and health services research. Notably, he has served as a key contributor to National Academies reports on long-term care, including the 2023 study on nursing home reform, which critically examined the gap between policy ideals and the realities of institutional care. His scholarship continues to inform how we measure and improve the dignity and quality of life for vulnerable older populations.