How to Rate Nursing Homes
Whether you're an older person who is planning for the future or a person looking into care for an aging family member, you may need to rate nursing homes to determine which offers the best situation. As you investigate possible nursing homes, compare current government ratings with your own scores to get the most complete picture.
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Instructions
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Evaluate whether a nursing home is a profit or nonprofit facility. In December of 2008, "USA Today" analyzed governmental data rating nursing home facilities and concluded that nonprofit nursing homes provided better care. Faith-based organizations operated 1/5 of the nonprofit nursing homes evaluated in the study, which might contribute to the improvement.
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Determine whether a nursing home has a rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The U.S. program uses a five-star rating system, which evaluates health reports, staffing and quality measures, to distinguish the quality of facilities.
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Find out how many residents developed bed sores over the past year. Bed sores most often occur when nursing home staff fail to help the elderly move as often as needed and can indicate the facility doesn't have enough staff. You can also check to see how many residents needed restraint in order to prevent harming themselves or staff.
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Look at a nursing home like a health inspector would. You don't need to evaluate all the 180 standards of operations evaluated by a health inspector, but knowing some of the important ones can help you rate the facility. For example, nursing homes must be compliant with the Life Safety Code (LSC), which the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) established, but you can evaluate the evacuation routes and the policies and procedures in place in the event of a fire; one home may have easier outside access than another. You can also evaluate the management of prescription medications and the preparation and storage of foods.
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Consider the cost of the nursing homes you're rating. Paying more doesn't always mean you get better service, but it might be an indication that a facility will have the necessary staff to take care of the residents.
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Visit facilities and talk with staff and residents. The best way to rate a nursing home is to spend time in it before paying for services. Current residents may have concerns you need to investigate. You can also eat in the cafeteria and get a feel for the type and quality of food served on a daily basis.
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Make a list of the things you want to evaluate and determine how you'll evaluate each thing. You may want to set up a point system to allow you to quickly calculate the total score for each facility. The facilities with the highest score should be the top-rated facilities.
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