In an attempt to aid consumers in the tough task of choosing a long-term care facility, the U.S. Government has unveiled a new five star rating system for nursing home quality. The Centers for Medicare&Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs that often pay for nursing home care, released the rankings on its Web site this week.

In the first round of ratings, about 12 percent of the nearly 16,000 homes rated got a full five star rating, while 22 percent got the lowest rating of one star. The remaining two-thirds of facilities were rated somewhere in between.

The ratings are based on three major criteria: data from state inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. The Web site gives nursing homes a rating in each of these three categories along with a rating of overall quality.

For the state inspection measures, CMS used data from an annual survey designed to measure how well homes protect the health and safety of their residents. Staffing level measures are self-reported by the nursing homes and include the number of hours that nursing and other staff dedicate per patient each day. The measurement for quality looks at 10 areas, including the percent of residents who have bed sores after their first 90 days in the home, the number of residents whose mobility worsened after admission, and whether residents received recommended medical care.

A spokesperson for CMS said the agency was merely taking existing data on their Web site and making it easier for patients and families to evaluate a nursing home, noting that is can be very difficult to understand all the aspects of an inspection.

While consumer groups and the nursing home industry agree that improving access to information about such facilities is a good idea, they also agree that the new system has some shortcomings. A spokesperson for the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform suggests that the rating system may not be stringent enough, warning that nursing homes may appear in the ratings to give better care than they actually do. Industry officials note that the ratings do not include what may be the most important aspect of all: consumer satisfaction.

The ratings Web site can be found at www.medicare.gov; rankings will be updated quarterly. If you or a loved one is facing the tough decision of choosing a nursing home, you can join the Healia Health Community for Seniors’ Health to connect with others dealing with the same situation.


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