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When families are looking for a nursing home for a loved one, their choices are quite often limited and they do not always know the quality of care their loved one will receive until it is too late. Now, there is a rating system that has been developed to assist families during this difficult emotional time.
More than 500,000 people will die in nursing homes every year. Another two million will return home after a stay of less than three months. It is important that they receive the best care possible during their stay.
Nursing Home Compare System
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed a nursing home compare system using the Scripps Howard analysis. Now people who are searching for a nursing home can use the rating system as a first step in finding the best care for their loved one.
Experts caution that the ratings system should only be used as one step in the decision-making process. Although the rating system is a good start, it is limited as it does not taking patient or staff satisfaction surveys into consideration, nor does it include patient-staff ratio.
It is suggested that people use the rating system to find suitable nursing homes in their area. Then, they should visit the nursing homes and talk with patients and staff. Consider the cleanliness of the facility, and the friendliness of the staff, among other considerations.
The rating scale
The rating scale utilizes a one to five star system, with five being the best. The rankings are updated every three months, although there are some monthly updates. Currently, almost 16,000 nursing homes across the United States are included in the Nursing Home Compare. Although the rating scale is limited in scope, most agree it is a start in helping families find good nursing home care.
I visited the website (see link below) and entered our zip code. Two nursing homes appeared. One had a five star rating and the other was unrated. I know personally that the nursing home receiving the five star rating is highly regarded in this city. Most people prefer to have their loved one in this facility and there is an extremely long waiting list. My sister and I visited the site in 2003 when we were looking for a home for our mother, and the facility was beautiful and well taken care of. We heard nothing but praise. The waiting list was the deal breaker for us.
Although not everyone agrees with the Nursing Home Compare rating system, advocates believe it is a step in the right direction in helping families locate the best place for their loved one. Check out the links below and decide for yourself whether or not to utilize the system. As we progress as a nation in our desire to provide the best care possible to an aging demographic, having a tool such as the Nursing Home Compare is a welcome arrow in any families care giving quiver as they seek the best care for their family member.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service
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