U.S. News Releases Ratings on Nursing Homes Basics

U S News Magazine Issues Ratings on Nursing Homes

The annual rankings cover more than 15 000 residences nationwide

Bonnie Schupp/Getty Images For five stars, a home must provide more than four hours of care a day to each resident. U.S. News & World Report has issued its annual rankings of more than 15,000 . Based on a 1-to-5 star rating, the rankings rely on data compiled by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for its Nursing Home Compare program. The data cover three performance areas: state-conducted health inspections, nurse staffing and medical-quality measures. Each nursing home receives a ranking within each of the three categories, as well as an overall score. AARP Membership: Health inspections take in a number of factors, including food safety, infection control, residents' rights, quality of life and skin care. For nurse staffing, homes self-report the number of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and aides and assistants. For five stars, a home must provide more than four hours of care a day to each resident. Medical-quality measures include clinical data on the status of Medicare and Medicaid residents for 18 indicators. These include the numbers of urinary-tract infections and residents physically restrained from falling out of a bed or a chair. The homes are listed in order of ranking, and, within each ranking, alphabetically or based on distance from the person searching. The magazine's allows searches for rankings by name or location. CMS and U.S. News caution the ratings “are just a starting point,” and that in-depth visits are crucial for those seeking a nursing home for themselves or a loved one.

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