The safety issues have been over-covered above. Happens I agree with Janie, but I have no great interest in proselytizing. When they burn out, and they do occasionally, just handle them exactly like a fluorescent tube. If they break, the shards of thin glass are a lot more dangerous than the very small amount of mercury they contain.

As far as the quality of the light and longevity are concerned, I'm satisfied with CFLs I put them in throughout my house when I bought it 13 years ago (the prior owner had removed most of the bulbs), and most of those are still going strong. The technology has changed over the past dozen years and they are now available in smaller sizes, different lumen ratings (for 'warmer' light, light that emulates daylight, etc) and in dimmable and fan bulbs. Most are now instant-on...I suspect that the lady in the nursing home's actual problem is very cheap managers who won't replace the 1998-vintage ones they got on a closeout sale.

Still don't want to go to CFLs? Buy LEDs instead, which have no known or imagined dangers. They are more expensive - rather like CFLs were when they first came out - but they are supposed to last 2-3 times longer than a CFL.