Search PAElderLaw.com

Print This Page   Return Home

Online Nursing Home Comparison Guides Provide New Resource for Nursing Home Shoppers

  By: Stephanie L. Allegrucci  

Stephanie Allegrucci, our summer intern has just completed her sophomore year at the University of Pennsylvania and is majoring in History of Law and Psychology.  

Originally Published June 28, 2003

  The decision to place a loved one in a long term care facility can be one of the most emotional and stressful choices that a family must make. Often times the need for nursing home placement may arise urgently, thus making the already difficult search process even more overwhelming. We all desire to find the facility that can best care for our loved one; however, in the past we have relied heavily upon what we hear others say about facilities rather than perform our own research to obtain factual information. Personal recommendations from friends, geriatric care managers, other health care providers, and an elder law attorney remain important; and now with the availability of the Internet, you can supplement these recommendations by conducting your own research from your home!

 

Gannett News Service has issued a special online report to make available the ratings of America 's nursing homes. This site provides a searchable database that allows the user to access patient care quality ratings for 16,000 nursing homes across the United States . http://content.gannettonline.com/gns/nursinghomes/index.html

• How does it work?

Gannett News Service uses Federal Medicare Databases to gather information about the level of patient care. In a four-month investigation, Gannett conducted interviews and analyzed four years' worth of data on the 16,000 nursing homes nationwide. Thanks to Gannet all you have to do is simply select the state, county, and city you wish to search. You will immediately be provided with a list of all facilities in your area and a complete report on each.

• What information is available?

Two vital pieces of information are now at your fingertips. First, you have access to statistics concerning patient well-being. For example, you can view the percentage of patients who have incurred certain physical ailments while residing in the facility along with the state and national averages for this particular problem. Gannett uses a series of stars from one to five (5 being the best) to rate six factors of patient well-being. This rating system allows you to compare nursing homes with a quick glance.

  Secondly, you have access to nursing home inspection histories. These inspections occur every 9-15 months. Each nursing home report contains a list of deficiencies noted in the inspection including a description of the problem, the severity of the incident, the scope or how many people it affected, and the date of correction. This database contains incident reports from 1999-2003.

The great thing about this database is that it allows you to easily compare the many facilities in your area in an attempt to narrow down your search. It also draws your attention to issues of concern that you may not have originally thought to inquire about.

• What information should I focus on while reading the reports?

1.      Note the number of nursing personnel available to care for residents as they provide at least 90% of patient care.

 

2. Compare the facility's quality score with other facilities' scores to see how each ranks. Look for ones that score below the state average when it comes to deficiencies.

3. Check for the most recent report, within the past 9-15 months, to ensure up-to-date information. Don't forget about old inspection reports as they may show a trend in problems. If you see a certain area of deficiency, be sure to question it upon visiting.

Nursing home databases can be an invaluable tool for anyone involved in the search process, but especially for family members who may not live in the city or state of the needed facility. Once you locate the facility that can provide the best match for your loved one's needs, you have a continued responsibility to remain involved so that you can rest assured that your loved one receives the highest level of care possible.

• Voice concerns and complaints
• Participate in family council meetings
• Attend care plan meetings and stress individualized care
• Meet the staff and share personal information about your loved one
• Follow up on the care plan and make all staff aware of this plan
• Document the date, time, and people involved in any problem
• Stay in touch with community long term care professionals.

Your involvement will help keep databases, like those provided by Gannet, accurate so that they may be valuable to others involved in the complex process of finding the right nursing home.

• Other useful tools:

The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform provides A Consumer Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home. This guide takes you step by step through the process of nursing home placement and offers valuable tips for interpreting state inspection reports like those on the Gannet database.

http://nccnhr.newc.com/public/50_155_3274.CFM

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers a Nursing Home Comparison Guide with information about each facility, the staff, and quality care information. This resource operates in the same manner as the Gannet database to provide the user with detailed facility reports.

http://www.medicare.gov/Nhcompare/home.asp

For a Nursing Home Checklist to help guide you in your search, go to           www.medicare.gov/nursing/checklist.pdf

-Return to How to Find the Right Nursing Home Page-

   

© 2000-2005 Marshall & Associates          www.paelderlaw.com